How Vincent Kompany helped Southampton FC to the transfer jackpot | OneFootball

Nathan Tella's loan stint at Burnley proved quite lucrative for Southampton

WhenVincent Kompany’s Burnley side earned promotion in 2023 their success earned Southampton a £20 million windfall from Nathan Tella.

The winger joined the Clarets on loan in the 2022 summer transfer window after he struggled to impress in the Premier League under Ralph Hassenhuttl in the previous campaign.

The Nigeria international made 14 top flight appearances as the Saints earned a 15th place finish, but he contributed just one assist and no goals, having started on 10 occasions.

In a total of 33 games in the division, he scored just once, and failed to show the Hampshire outfit why he should be a consistent presence in the side.

This led to his loan move, which proved a masterstroke for all involved as he ended up being key to Burnley’s rise back to the Premier League.

Tella registered 17 goals and five assists from 39 appearances as Kompany’s side earned an impressive 101 points to clinch the Championship title.

Nathan Tella’s impressive Burnley stint

Tella made a near-instant impact for the Clarets, scoring twice in a dramatic 3-3 draw against Blackpool in just his third appearance for the club.

He again found the back of the net a week later, joining in on a 5-1 victory over Wigan Athletic as Kompany’s side made a strong start to life in the second tier.

Those two goals ensured he remained as a regular starter, as he was not dropped back to the bench again until November for a run of four in six as a substitute.

His 75th minute strike in a 2-1 comeback win over West Brom on 20 January 2023 showed why he was brought back into the starting lineup, and the winger followed that up with an impressive hat-trick against Lancashire rivals Preston North End just a couple weeks later.

This was the first of two hat-tricks for Tella during his loan spell at Burnley, as he went from strength to strength once back in the team.

He scored five of Burnley’s six goals in back-to-back wins over Wigan and Hull City before the March international break, with promotion looking all but secured at that stage.

Two more assists in wins over Middlesbrough and Sheffield United in April capped off an excellent season on loan at Turf Moor.

Nathan Tella’s £20m Bayer Leverkusen move

Speculation mounted over his future following the end of the 2022/23 campaign as he returned to Southampton.

The Saints suffered relegation in 2023, and would’ve been hoping that Tella could maintain his impressive form and help Russell Martin’s side to promotion.

But interest from German outfit Bayer Leverkusen put paid to that idea, as the Bundesliga club offered £20 million to sign the Nigeria international on a permanent basis.

This proved an excellent piece of business, with the Saints gaining promotion anyway through the play-offs.

Southampton, of course, would've loved to retain Tella's services, as the winger may just have offered that extra boost to fire them to the Championship title, just as he did at Burnley, but they hardly lost out from his departure either - while netting a handsome windfall for a player who struggled for consistent performances during his time in Hampshire.

Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso’s side clinched their first ever top flight title by going unbeaten in all 34 of their league fixtures.

Tella contributed five goals and two assists from 24 appearances, becoming a league champion in back-to-back years.

Elsewhere, Kompany was unable to keep the Clarets in the Premier League, but he still earned the move to Leverkusen’s rivals Bayern Munich in the summer of 2024.

It was a deal that worked out for everyone, not least of all, Southampton who earned an impressive £20 million for Tella thanks to Kompany’s efforts at Turf Moor.