Nigeria Monitoring Arsenal Product Tella Following First Team Breakthrough With Southampton

The Nigeria Football Federation, through the Super Eagles chief scout Tunde Adelakun, are monitoring Arsenal Academy product Nathan Tella with a view to a call-up to the national team following his first team breakthrough with Southampton.

Tella qualifies to represent the national team of Nigeria through his father as well as England, where he was born and raised, but has not been capped by the two nations at all levels. 

Capable of playing as a right or left winger and playmaker, the 21-year-old made his first team debut for Southampton after the lockdown, coming off the bench for the last two minutes of a 3-0 win at Norwich City and was named in the matchday squads vs Arsenal and Watford before injury ruled him out for the rest of the 2019-2020 season.

Everything points to the fact that Tella has been promoted to the first team of Southampton for the new season as he has been involved in their last three matches in all competitions while making the bench for the Premier League opener at Crystal Palace, and has switched shirt number from 52 to 23.

Adelakun revealed that Bournemouth's Nnamdi Ofoborh, who played for the Flying Eagles at last year's World Cup, is another English-born youngster of interest.

In quotes carried by Score Nigeria citing BBC South, Adelakun said : "In Southampton, I am still watching Nathan Tella, it's great to see he's now making starts in the Premier League.

"Nnamdi Ofoborh of Bournemouth is another great player.

"The main aim is to get the best players to play for Nigeria. It doesn’t matter whether he is based in Europe or Nigeria. We want the best players".

Tella spent ten years at the Arsenal Academy before moving to Southampton on a scholarship deal in April 2017 following a successful trial.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel