NATHAN Tella insists Saints’ new signings have already settled in well and put it down to the squad, revealing: “I feel like in some teams maybe the boys aren’t as welcoming, but here they are.” Ralph Hasenhuttl has welcomed six summer additions, but with loanee Theo Walcott returning and Dynel Simeu entering the B team it’s four brand new first-teamers. Tella, 22, has made 19 Premier League appearances before appearing off the bench in Saints’ 2021-22 opening day defeat at Everton’s Goodison Park, where debutant Adam Armstrong scored but the team were powerless to resist a second-half salvo.
Nathan Tella said: “Armando and Adam are both really good lads, I’m looking forward to playing with them and seeing what they’re capable of, helping the team progress. I feel like in some teams, maybe the boys aren’t as welcoming but here the boys are welcoming them really well, it’s like they’ve been here for a long time, joining in with the banter and communicating. It’s all good, they understand the team and what they’re here to do, they’re here to help the team. And also understanding them on a human level as well, getting along well, so I’m looking forward to playing with them.”
On whether a transfer is as exciting for a player as it is for fans,
Nathan Tella added: “Yeah it always excites me, I’m still a fan myself. I like transfers, I like seeing new people come to the club. Now that I’m in the first team environment, I just think it’s going to help the team really well so it’s a positive.”
For Tella, the two additions of strikers Armstrong and Broja could be seen as direct competition, with the young forward advancing further up the pitch as he gets more and more gametime. Both are out-and-out strikers, while Tella is a bit more versatile in operating anywhere across the front four. Against Everton, the former Arsenal academy man was introduced in one of the winger roles but admits he relishes in the challenge of battling for minutes
Nathan Tella said: “That’s what I want, I like competition. I think it will bring the best out of me, make me want to do more, work harder and show that I can do more. As well as myself, it will be good for the defenders as if the attackers are training well every day they will have to train even better to stop us from scoring. That will be good for the team because when it comes to the game they will have had that confidence that they can stop us training well or creating chances, so they can do that against opposition in the Premier League. I think it will benefit the team. It’s looking good, yeah.”
