Kelechi Nwakali: Why reports of a Barnsley exit sound all too familiar for ex-Arsenal player

Super Eagles midfielder Kelechi Nwakali is once again in the spotlight following reports suggesting he has been frozen out at Barnsley FC after returning late for preseason training, Soccernet.ng reports.

Several Nigerian outlets, including OGN, claimed that Barnsley head coach Conor Hourihane has indicated that the 27-year-old will no longer be part of the squad’s plans for the 2025/26 season.

According to these reports, the former Arsenal player was instructed to train separately and has been left out of all the club’s pre-season fixtures as well as early League One matchday squads.

The Barnsley Exit Talks

Reports from Nigerian outlets suggest that Barnsley’s head coach, Conor Hourihane, no longer sees Nwakali as part of his plans after the midfielder returned late from his off-season holiday in Nigeria.

He has since been excluded from pre-season fixtures and early League One matchday squads, with suggestions that the club intend to move him on before the transfer window shuts.

At the time of writing, no official confirmation has come from Barnsley FC or UK media, leaving the story suspended between fact and speculation.

Still, Nwakali’s absence from team sheets and his segregation from first-team training are telling signs that something is amiss.

Huesca Déjà Vu

For those who followed his career in Spain, the current Barnsley saga feels eerily familiar. In April 2022, SD Huesca terminated Nwakali’s contract six months early, following a bitter standoff that began when the club allegedly pressured him not to represent Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Nwakali claimed he was bullied over his AFCON call-up, denied wages, and even barred from training. Spain’s players’ union (AFE) intervened, condemning the club’s handling of the situation as a violation of his rights. Huesca, for their part, accused Nwakali of gross misconduct, pointing to alleged disciplinary breaches.

That unceremonious exit left a stain on his career—and now, the reports from Barnsley threaten to reinforce an unwanted pattern.

Nwakali: Between fact and speculation

While the current Barnsley situation remains unconfirmed officially, the previous Huesca saga is difficult to ignore.

His off-field disputes and questions of discipline are things being watched by suitors and might be the end of a wonderful career if care is not taken.