Burnley leading scorer Nathan Tella going nowhere as Southampton boss Nathan Jones confirms he'll be staying put

Nathan Tella looks destined to stay at Burnley for the rest of the season.
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The on loan Southampton ace has made a healthy contribution towards the Clarets' success this term, scoring nine goals and adding a couple of assists for the Championship leaders.

The joint-leading scorer, alongside Jay Rodriguez, has played a big part in the club's promotion bid and, following Saints boss Nathan Jones's comments, it seems he'll be hanging around for the title race.

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Tella, a product of Arsenal's academy, had a recall option attached to his deal, but the Premier League outfit have no immediate plans to bring the 23-year-old back to St Mary's.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20: Nathan Tella of Burnley during the Sky Bet Championship between Burnley and West Bromwich Albion at Turf Moor on January 20, 2023 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)BURNLEY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20: Nathan Tella of Burnley during the Sky Bet Championship between Burnley and West Bromwich Albion at Turf Moor on January 20, 2023 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
BURNLEY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20: Nathan Tella of Burnley during the Sky Bet Championship between Burnley and West Bromwich Albion at Turf Moor on January 20, 2023 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Asked if he had any intention of activating the clause to take Tella back to the South Coast, with his parent club in desperate need to climb off the foot of the table, Jones responded: "No, not at the minute. We're really happy with Nathan, he's doing fantastically well at Burnley.

"He's having a really good experience and he is flying. But with the greatest of respect, for him to come back and do that at Premier League level, we are not sure."

Burnley lead the way in the second tier after taking 62 points from 28 games. Tella’s equaliser against West Brom sent the table-toppers on their way to an eighth league win on the bounce.

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However, Jones doesn’t see Tella — who is under contract with his parent club until 2025 — featuring in his side’s survival bid and, instead, feels he is better placed to further his development at Turf Moor.

SWANSEA, WALES - JANUARY 02: Nathan Tella of Burnley is challenged by Ryan Manning of Swansea City during the Sky Bet Championship between Swansea City and Burnley at Liberty Stadium on January 02, 2023 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)SWANSEA, WALES - JANUARY 02: Nathan Tella of Burnley is challenged by Ryan Manning of Swansea City during the Sky Bet Championship between Swansea City and Burnley at Liberty Stadium on January 02, 2023 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
SWANSEA, WALES - JANUARY 02: Nathan Tella of Burnley is challenged by Ryan Manning of Swansea City during the Sky Bet Championship between Swansea City and Burnley at Liberty Stadium on January 02, 2023 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

He added: "We've got people like Adam Armstrong who have been prolific at Championship level. So we've got good competition in that area. What we would like is something a little bit different in terms of maybe size, maybe real aggression.

"Nathan is doing fantastic under Vincent [Kompany] and is having a wonderful season for his development. At the end of the season, there's a big decision to make. But it's been a really productive loan for him and it is in his benefit to stay there."