By Wale Mustapha
Bayer Leverkusen winger Nathan Tella has dismissed speculation linking him with a move away from the Bundesliga champions ahead of the new season.
The Nigerian international has been the subject of transfer rumours following a strong campaign with Leverkusen, where he registered two goals and four assists in 27 league appearances.
English clubs Burnley and Southampton—both of whom Tella previously played for—have been linked with a move for the 25-year-old.
Burnley recently secured a return to the Premier League, while Southampton were relegated to the Championship.
However, Tella has reaffirmed his commitment to Leverkusen, insisting he is not seeking a move this summer.
“I’m still happy to be here at Bayer Leverkusen. I want to stay here and I love it here,” Tella said.
“This is the club that signed me, and it’s an honour for them to sign me.”
Tella joined Leverkusen from Southampton in the summer of 2023 and played a role in the club’s title-winning campaign under manager Xabi Alonso.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
