English League One club Barnsley have announced that Nigeria international Kelechi Nwakali will stay on at the club after making their retained and released list published on Sunday, www.aclsports.com reports.
Following the conclusion of the 2025/26 campaign, The Tykes announced the decision on several players in the squad.
It was confirmed that the 27-year-old, who has a year left in his current contract, is listed among a group of players retained, alongside Luca Connell, Josh Earl, Kacper Lopata, Corey O’Keeffe, and Jackson Smith.
Nwakali’s future at the club has been shrouded in uncertainty over the past year after a difficult spell, having made 26 appearances in his first season before losing his place under former manager Conor Hourihane. The midfielder was also expected to leave Barnsley at some point in the previous transfer windows, but a move away from the Oakwell Stadium never happened.
Having been made surplus to requirements, Nwakali was with the development squad before returning to the first team towards the tail end of the campaign to make four substitute appearances. Despite all the setbacks, the club have decided to keep the Nigerian midfielder in their plans for the upcoming season.
Nwakali, a member of Nigeria’s squad at the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, will hope to leave the struggles of the 2025/26 season behind and regain his best form.
