Barnsley have announced the signing of Nigeria midfielder Kelechi Nwakali from Portuguese club GD Chaves.
The English League One club signed the player for an undisclosed fee.
Nwakali penned a three-year contract with the Reds.
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“I am very happy to sign for Barnsley Football Club. I spoke to Mladen and the head coach Darrell earlier in the summer and I knew that this was an exciting opportunity for me, I know I can bring a lot to the team,” he told the club’s official website.
Sporting Director Mladen Sormaz said, “There is no doubt that Kelechi is a really talented player who can offer Darrell something different.
“We knew that the player wanted to return to England and that gave us an opportunity to bring him to Oakwell and we believe his experience playing in some of Europe’s top leagues will benefit us over the coming years. He has had a shortened pre-season and we’ll ease him into first team action over the coming weeks. “
By Adeboye Amosu
20 Comments
He will play regularly, then should be invited to the Super Eagles. Ride on brother. Favor is your potion. You will soon announce yourself in a big way.
A league 1 (third tier of English football) should be invited to the Eagles??? Na so the Eagles team useless reach?
League one? Not even Championship!
I don’t think Kelechi Nwakali’s situation is that bad he can’t get a decent side in the Championship. For the former captain of the U-17 world cup winning team in 2013, I think League 1 is far too low for him, giving his qualities but on the flip side, if one considers the circumstances that surrounded his exit from Chaves, one would cut him some slack for electing to go that route.
Wish him the best of luck in the new season.
League one? Not even Championship!
I don’t think Kelechi Nwakali’s situation is that bad he can’t get a decent side in the Championship. For the former captain of the U-17 world cup winning team in 2013, I think League 1 is far too low for him, giving his qualities but on the flip side, if one considers the circumstances that surrounded his exit from Chaves, one would cut him some slack for electing to go that route.
Wishing him the best in the new season.
Sometimes, that could be the reality of the game.
No player playing in the Championship must be invited to the Super Eagles, no matter how “talented”, otherwise it’s going to be the beginning of the end for the SE.
Standards. Standards. Standards. We must have standards. We must set a bar – otherwise all sorts of names will start laying claim to an SE shirt. If you want to be in the SE, you must work for it. Kelechi has a lot of potential s, but lazy football-wise.
For example, why hasn’t he pulled through from all the lower league clubs he’s been playing for since he won the 2015 U17 WC, alongside Osimhen, Chukwueze & others? The latter have both been in 3 elite clubs at least in the last 7 years and in different country – France, Spain, Italy. They upped their games and graduated from lower leagues and feeder clubs.
Kelechi is just professionally indisciplined (not social indiscipline or violating club code of conduct outside football pitch). He thinks talent is enough. He doesn’t want to do all the rigorous training routines or join teammates on preseason tours on scheduled dates, so he has stagnated with the immense lower-leagur-club-standard “natural” talents we saw with him in 2015 whereas Osimhen and Chukwueze had built on those since.
It was only Eguavoen that invited him back then. It was he that also invited the other indisciplined and divisive one, Dennis Emmanuel. We know Eguavoen has been the puppeteer behind all the useless NFF decisions. He’s been the ‘hand of Esau but voice of Jacob’ character in all these ridiculous delays or half baked SE coaches appointments so the mantle can fall back to him, like he’s almost successfully doing with the September qualifiers.
If he likes, he should invite a League One players to the SE again.
Sorry Fidel-enny, this wasn’t meant as a reply to you but a standalone comment.
No player playing in the Championship must be invited to the Super Eagles, no matter how “talented”, otherwise it’s going to be the beginning of the end for the SE.
Standards. Standards. Standards. We must have standards. We must set a bar – otherwise all sorts of names will start laying claim to an SE shirt. If you want to be in the SE, you must work for it. Kelechi has a lot of potential s, but lazy football-wise.
For example, why hasn’t he pulled through from all the lower league clubs he’s been playing for since he won the 2015 U17 WC, alongside Osimhen, Chukwueze & others? The latter have both been in 3 elite clubs at least in the last 7 years and in different country – France, Spain, Italy. They upped their games and graduated from lower leagues and feeder clubs.
Kelechi is just professionally indisciplined (not social indiscipline or violating club code of conduct outside football pitch). He thinks talent is enough. He doesn’t want to do all the rigorous training routines or join teammates on preseason tours on scheduled dates, so he has stagnated with the immense lower-leagur-club-standard “natural” talents we saw with him in 2015 whereas Osimhen and Chukwueze had built on those since.
It was only Eguavoen that invited him back then. It was he that also invited the other indisciplined and divisive one, Dennis Emmanuel. We know Eguavoen has been the puppeteer behind all the useless NFF decisions. He’s been the ‘hand of Esau but voice of Jacob’ character in all these ridiculous delays or half baked SE coaches appointments so the mantle can fall back to him, like he’s almost successfully doing with the September qualifiers.
If he likes, he should invite a League One players to the SE again.
Where is the super eagles coach??? So both president and his followers are stupid together!!! Na waooo!
Tinubu and I’m yeye people can not afford Harve 1.5 million dollars a year… when they steal more than that every seconds in Nigeria
Man, the matter tire person o.
3rd division class player with the arrogance of a multiple balon dor nominee.
This where unnecessary hype and the wrong circle of people (friends, family and fans) has landed him.
Barnsley should better watch it with this kid, else they’ll be playing in league 2 by this time next year.
I warned chaves about this this time last year.
I remember when the brother said He was going to dump Nigeria for another country lmaoo…. I remember when Eguavoen smuggled him into the Afcon team. Eguavoen should be fired as head of that technical department. If he is not fired, our football will continue to suffer.
How is he a third division class player? At least he is not coming from Cyprus, Norway, Sweden, even Belgian league. Stop the hatred and bad belle.
Sorry what division is the English League One….LMAOoo….or is this one drunk….??
He’s better off playing in any of those leagues than in the lower division of Spain, Portugal and now England where he’s career seems to be rooted….LMAOOo.
At least we see clubs from Cyprus, Sweden, Belgium playing in the UCL and Europa leagues. Pls tell us which 3rd division clubs play European club competitiomns…..LMAOOO.
The fact that he cannot even attract clubs from those countries says a lot.
The kid wants to play in England by fire by thunder….LMAOOo
….his career….
Better off playing for Apoel Nicosia, Bodo/Glimt, Malmo FF or Club Brugge than playing for Barnsley….LMAOOo
Brother league one is the third tier of English football lol.
This is what happens when you ignore hardwork to develop entitlement attitudes.
Still waiting on those bigots and delusional forumites that are busy lampooning Alhassan for signing a $3M deal. Hopefully, they use heavier sticks on their overhyped division 3 star.
I guess they are busy looking for bad news one of tge most accomplished Super Eagles player ever.They are still hating on a player that worked his ass off to win major awards and recognitions in Africa and two top 5 leagues. The only Nigerian player to be considered worthy of highest paid footballer in a top 3 league.
BEST WISHES to the lad…
Every Nigerian should have seen how and who Ugo is by now. If you don’t, go read his opinion above. What a shame.
Talented but wasted
Nwakali is a talented player.
Good on the ball, but poor off it.
Doesn’t cover the kind of ground that modern midfielders are expected to cover. Ball winning and screening the defense are not his strong suites. What he’s good at is ball distribution and shooting. Has good technique on the ball. His long range passes are quite good. Perhaps the best feature of his game.
The reason he’s not in demand in the most competitive leagues is down to his work ethic. In the top leagues, talent is important. But equally important are stamina and intensity. These are the areas he needs to work on to improve his game.
Eighteen, yes eighteen comments on this story on Nwakali’s transfer to English League One side Barnsley.
Although his career hasn’t moved in the trajectory his immensely undeniably bags of tricks and talent suggested in Under-17, something stays undeniable about Kelechi Nwakali – he remains relevant and his activities gain traction and generate reactions.
You see, I am a fan of Nwakali. Yes, poor decisions, questionable attitude and low work ethics have contributed to crippling his career, but even at that, this day and age, he still has something needed in the Super Eagles midfield.
Eloquent passing range, intricate long balls and prescience in possession haven’t exactly deserted the 26 year old. But that unwillingness to exert himself, improve his repertoire, hone his skills and apply the highest level of professionalism to his overall midfield presentation are obvious issues.
That collection of supremely talented 2013 and 2015 Golden Eaglets squads have largely faded into obscurity – sadly. Out of about 22 top talents, we only have the likes of Iheanacho, Osihmen, Chukwueze, Uzoho and perhaps Ndidi either fulfilling their potentials in the Super Eagles or trying to keep their heads above water.
Others, like Nwakali senior have been tossed away in the consciousness of Super Eagles fans like household waste due to poor returns in club football despite supremely promising beginnings, with several others languishing in backwater leagues.
But Kelechi Nwakali has somewhat remained relevant – even notching an Afcon participation in his C/V. His travails and troubles gain traction and attract reactions which are testament to his poorly channeled but largely undeniable star qualities.
So, the star qualities are there and it’s not too late for this lad to turn things round.
Should he finally latch his head in the right place and embrace hard work, dedication, unwavering commitment to his craft and professionalism on and off the pitch, he would finally start to gain the right sort of (positive) traction and will burn rubber on the right tarmac.
Those Sunday Olise-esq type long balls and visionary passes are sorely needed in the Super Eagles; something Nwakali has in spades if harness, cultivated and improved upon.
However, the Owerri-born fast-fading star is too distracted with the glitz and glamour that come with football that he has taken his eyes off the ball-of-application that enhances a footballer’s status high enough to reach the pinnacles of those glitz.
Mediocrity on the pitch will only generate mediocre attention off it.
Perhaps moving to England (albeit division 3) will help Nwakali finally shed the cloak of mediocrity and elevate his presentation to respectable heights.