Burnley dealt blow in quest to sign Southampton star

Tella could potentially remain on the south coast beyond the summer after this recent update

Southampton are looking to keep Nathan Tella by offering him a new contract that reflects his value after his successful loan spell at Burnley.

Burnley are interested in signing Tella.

But Southampton is holding out for a fee of £15m-£20m.

Southampton are keen to retain Nathan Tella beyond the end of the summer window and hand him a new contract to tie him down for the long term at St Mary’s, according to Alan Nixon.

Currently having two years left on his current deal, the Saints may be forced to cash in on him either next January or next summer to avoid the risk of losing him free, but they could solve this issue by tying the player down to an extension.

Nixon believes his current side are aiming to give the winger a deal that “reflects his new value” following his excellent loan spell at Burnley last season.

Playing a huge part in guiding the Clarets back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, he has made an excellent start to this term too, with his superb strike against Sheffield Wednesday allowing the Saints to claim a 2-1 victory at Hillsborough on the opening night of the campaign.

He could be crucial to Russell Martin in his quest to get his side promoted at the end of this term – but they may need to fend off interest from other teams in their quest to both retain him and persuade him to put pen to paper on a long-term contract on the south coast.

Burnley’s interest in Nathan Tella

The Clarets have been bidding for the 24-year-old in their potential quest to bring another winger in – but they have been unsuccessful at this stage.

Nixon believes the Saints are keen to secure £15m-£20m for the Englishman, having seen him thrive at Turf Moor last season.

And his goal on the opening night of this season may have increased his valuation once more, with Martin’s side now desperate to keep hold of him.

The Clarets do seem to have other irons in the fire though, with Sunderland’s Jack Clarke and Leeds United’s Crysencio Summerville both being linked with a switch to Lancashire during this window.

At this stage though, it doesn’t look as though Clarke will be departing the Stadium of Light, so Vincent Kompany may face further difficulties as he potentially looks to bring another winger in.

What should Burnley do now?

They should probably look to prioritise strengthening some other areas at this stage because there are a couple of key positions that should be improved before the season starts.

The left-back area has to be a key priority for the Clarets because they haven’t replaced Ian Maatsen yet and still need a starting option in that department

Charlie Taylor can operate there – but Kompany will need another option to provide depth. And considering Taylor spend much of last season at centre-back, the Belgian may be keen to bring in a more attacking option.

The midfield department may also benefit from another option because they haven’t really strengthened that position since the window opened.

A winger should still be on the transfer agenda, especially if Darko Churlinov leaves, but strengthening this area may not be a key priority at this point considering the other options they have.