SAINTS manager Russell Martin insists the club will replace outgoing Nathan Tella despite already adding Newcastle United loanee Ryan Fraser.

The 29 year old impressed on his club debut from the bench during Saturday’s 2-1 win over QPR – a third victory in four during the Championship campaign.

Tella, 24, was not part of the squad after travelling to Germany to complete a £20million transfer to Bayer Leverkusen.

Martin, speaking after the match, updated supporters on Tella’s situation after rumours leaked of him training separately from the group on Friday afternoon.

“It was made in agreement as Nathan wanted to do some work despite the move probably going ahead this weekend, otherwise he would have had a few days without doing anything,” he said.

“I am really disappointed Nathan probably goes. He wanted to leave, not in a bad way, but it has been rumbling on all summer and sometimes in football the nice guys don’t get what they want.

“We will reinvest and replace him. Ryan Fraser is already in the building but he is not a replacement for Nathan, we will also add to the group in that position.

“That’s football. It’s a good deal for someone who came in at 18 years old, paid nothing for him, and he’s done brilliantly last season and got the move. We will replace and move forward.”

On the rumours leaking from the club before anything official was signed, Martin added: “Yesterday, you told me they trained separately yesterday and that’s a problem.

“That shouldn’t get out and that’s a problem at this club. It’s not fair on the people that are working really hard and it could be really misconstrued as them being ostracised and all that sort of stuff.”