The 1.73 metre tall Tella went out on loan at the start of last season from Premier League club Southampton, who were then relegated from England's top flight, to Burnley in the Championship. Under coach Vincent Kompany, Tella played a key role in the Clarets winning the Championship title and gaining promotion before his return to Southampton.
The 24-year-old has signed a contract at Bayer 04 to 30 June 2028 and sporting managing director Simon Rolfes sees the signing as filling another important position in the squad: "We have gained a fast winger who can score, who brings experience with him but also has the potential to develop," said Rolfes. "Nathan gives our attack additional versatility and he will strengthen our team with his pace and quality on the pitch."
For Tella, who scored 19 goals and provided five assists in 45 games for Burnley, the move to Germany is a big step: "Lots of young players from the Premier League have had the chance to play in the Bundesliga and were able to improve significantly here. And I find the stadiums and the whole fan culture exciting," revealed the Englishman, who played three league games for Southampton this season, scoring once and providing one assist.
"Above all, the Leverkusen team is obviously the reason for my decision," said Tella. "They are an impressive team who reached the semi-finals in the Europa League last season. I really want to continue on that road with Bayer 04."
Bayer 04 have fond memories of their encounters with Heidenheim, including a resounding 6-0 win in the reverse fixture. Kasper Hjulmand’s side would very much like to produce a similarly clinical display as they now head to the Voith-Arena for Matchday 27 on Saturday (15:30 CET). But they come up against a team fighting for their Bundesliga lives at the bottom of the table, 10 points adrift of safety with time running out. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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The Bayer 04 Women welcome FC Carl Zeiss Jena to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Sunday night in a white retro look - and in a unique Bayer 04 ‘50 Years of Fan Clubs’ special edition jersey. In sporting terms, head coach Roberto Pätzold's team will face the Bundesliga's bottom team at 18:30 CET looking to keep their chances of third place in the table alive with six games left to play.
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Bayer 04 return to Bundesliga action this weekend. Following their elimination in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, the Werkself are away to FC Heidenheim 1846 on Saturday, 21 March (kick-off: 15:30 CET) on Bundesliga matchday 27. Ahead of the clash in the eastern Swabian Alps, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the importance of the fixture and the chances of qualifying for the Champions League next term.
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A quick look at the table shows the situation at FC Heidenheim is serious. The Bundesliga bottom club are already ten points behind the play-off spot with their backs to the wall in sporting terms. With eight games left to play, avoiding relegation appears to be a mission impossible. Nevertheless, they are far from flying the white flag at the Schlossberg ahead of the clash with the Werkself this Saturday, 21 March (kick-off: 15:30 CET). The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without the two strikers in the immediate future. Caroline Kehrer suffered a torn ligament in her right knee and Amy Wrigge tore her cruciate ligament.
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