Kelechi Nwakali: Barnsley make surprise transfer decision on Super Eagles star

Barnsley have made a surprise decision to keep Super Eagles midfielder Kelechi Nwakali at the club for the 2026-27 campaign despite strong expectations that he would leave Oakwell this summer, Afrik-Foot reports.

The League One side confirmed their retained and released list following the end of the 2025-26 season, and Nwakali’s name was among the players staying at the club.

That outcome is nearly unexpected after a difficult campaign in which the former Golden Eaglets captain spent much of the season out of favour under manager Conor Hourihane.

Nwakali had looked certain to depart during the summer transfer window after dropping out of the first-team picture. Several months passed without him playing competitive senior football regularly, while speculation over a possible move away from South Yorkshire continued to grow.

Instead of featuring consistently for Barnsley’s senior side, the Nigerian midfielder was largely restricted to matches with the club’s development squad in order to maintain his fitness levels.

The decision to retain him now represents a major twist in a season that appeared to be heading towards an early separation between player and club.

Nwakali, who famously captained Nigeria to the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup title in Chile, still remains one of the most recognisable names from that Golden Eaglets generation. The midfielder won the Golden Ball award at the tournament ahead of teammates including Victor Osimhen after producing a series of dominant performances in South America.

Kelechi Nwakali: Late-season return changes picture

Although his future had looked bleak for most of the campaign, Nwakali was handed a small opportunity towards the end of the season.

The 27-year-old featured as a substitute in four consecutive League One matches during the closing weeks of the campaign, playing a combined 52 minutes.

Those appearances may have influenced Barnsley’s final decision to keep the midfielder for at least one more season.

Nwakali originally joined Barnsley in August 2024 on a three-year contract, meaning his current deal will run until the end of the 2026-27 season.

His career has taken him across several European countries since his breakthrough with Nigeria’s youth teams. After starring at the U17 World Cup, he secured a move to Arsenal in 2016 but never made a competitive appearance for the Premier League club because of work permit complications.

Loan spells followed in the Netherlands and Portugal with clubs including MVV Maastricht, VVV-Venlo and FC Porto B before he moved permanently to Spain.

At SD Huesca, Nwakali helped the club win the Segunda Division title during the 2019-20 season, although his spell there later ended in controversy following disagreements linked to his return from the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria.

The midfielder later rebuilt his career with SD Ponferradina before moving to Portuguese side G.D. Chaves, where he enjoyed one of the most stable seasons of his senior career despite the club’s relegation from the Primeira Liga.

His move to Barnsley in 2024 was seen as an opportunity to finally establish himself in English football after years of setbacks abroad.

During his first season at Oakwell, Nwakali showed flashes of quality and won a club Player of the Month award after becoming an important figure in midfield.

However, a family emergency and delayed return to pre-season preparations reportedly affected his standing at the club ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, leading to his long absence from the first team.

Now, after months of uncertainty, Barnsley have surprisingly decided that the Super Eagles midfielder still has a future at Oakwell.