Germany is becoming one of the biggest destinations for English youngsters. Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham’s transfers to Borussia Dortmund opened the doors for others. There is a lot of young English talent in the German top league.
Bayer Leverkusen have been on the rise since Xabi Alonso came into management. They have a lot of talented players but lost one of their best, Moussa Diaby, in the summer of 2023. This meant that Alonso was on the hunt for another winger. Leverkusen found his replacement in the form of Southampton’s Nathan Tella. The 24-year-old was on loan at Burnley and led them to promotion. Here is a look at some of the stats that show why Leverkusen brought in this young English talent.
Versatile player
Nathan Tella offers a lot from the wings for the teams he plays for. His versatility on the field allows him to play on both the left and right flanks. Tella prefers to play from the right side, and the above visual also shows the same.
In the 2022–23 season, he made 83 progressive runs and averaged six dribbles per 90 minutes, with a 51% success rate.
One of the areas where Tella excelled last season was in winning free-kicks for his team. The winger was fouled 74 times and also won a penalty for Burnley.
Clinical in front of the goal
The 24-year-old was a regular goal scorer for the team. He found the back of the net 17 times in 39 appearances. In the above shot map, we can see all 69 shots attempted by the forward. Tella averaged 2.34 shots per 90 minutes and had a 46.4% accuracy rate.
Most of the goals were scored from right in front of the goal. The accuracy rate was a bit decent. All the goals were scored while playing in different positions.
Creativity
Nathan Tella is not known for his creativity but a winger often creates chances for his teammates. Last season, the player provided four assists in the EFL Championship. He provided 23 shot assists in the whole season.
Comparison with departed Diaby
Moussa Diaby is one of the biggest French talents in football. He was the creative force for Alonsa and was involved in 17 goal-scoring chances for them. If we compare the stats of these two from last season, we clearly see one winner. However, Tella has excelled in a few things and will look to get better with time.
Nathan Tella will look for a breakthrough in the national team with this move. He left the Saints and is guaranteed game time in the Bundesliga. Bayer Leverkusen will look to make a three-horse race for the title.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
