ONE of Nigeria’s most promising talents at the youth level, Nwakali Kelechi, who has had to ply his trade at lower leagues in a bid to resuscitate his dwindling career, seems to still be struggling despite a move to League One in England.
His coach at Barnsley, Darrell Clarke, has expressed concerns about the fitness level of this youngster, explaining why the out-of-favour Super Eagles star has yet to kick competitive football for the club since his summer move.
The former FIFA U-17 World Cup Golden Ball winner was unable to make his mark at Arsenal following a 2016 move and has had to settle for lower leagues year after year including spells in the Spanish second division and Portuguese lower leagues. But the 25-year-old is yet to play a single minute in the EFL League.
Speaking on Nwakali’s lack of game time, Barnsley coach Clarke noted, “Kelechi is a mile off. He needs to do what I’ve told him to do. He needs to get fitter, more high-speed distance running. But We will keep working with him.”
Nwakali has had a roller-coaster career. He rose to global reckoning after winning the Golden Ball award at the 2015 under-17 World Cup, the same competition that Victor Osimhen rose from.
Nwakali then sealed a move to English Premier League club Arsenal in 2016. Unfortunately, he did not cut it at the club despite different transfers to MVV Maastricht, VVV Venlo, and Porto B.
Nwakali then joined Spanish club Huesca in 2019. There, he struggled as the club got relegated from La Liga in his first season. Then, he had to join Alcorcon in a six-month loan deal in his second season.
Upon his return to Huesca in his third season, the Super Eagle star started getting minutes, but his relationship with the team broke down midway into the campaign after returning late from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Due to the misunderstanding, Nwakali’s contract got terminated, causing him to join fellow Segunda División side Ponferradina in the summer of 2022.
Last season, the Nigerian midfielder moved to Portuguese club Chaves on a one-year deal, but the contract was not renewed at the end of the season. At the beginning of the current season, Nwakali sealed a transfer to Barnsley.
When he sealed the move, he was expected to slot into the team seamlessly, as Barnsley are in the third division of English football. However, it has not turned out that way, as Nwakali has not played a minute for the club this season.
Eighteen-Eleven Media