Once seen as a future star for Arsenal, Nigerian midfielder now finds himself completely sidelined from his club at the moment.
Nigerian midfielder faces uncertain future
Kelechi Nwakali was really close to establishing himself in English football, but Barnsley’s coach Conor Hourihane has straight out said that Nwakali is not going to be included in the first team’s plans for this season. It is being reported that the whole situation is connected to a disciplinary issue. The issue has caused him to be moved down to the under-21’s. That is a big blow for a player who was once termed a future star.
However, only two years remain on the player’s contract, and it looks as if his future with the team is certainly up in the air. That is especially with main squad return appearing to be very far off.
A career that never reached its potential
Nwakali’s career began with immense promise. In 2015, he won the Golden Ball at the FIFA U-17 World Cup and then he signed for Arsenal in 2016, the deal was partly assisted by Nwankwo Kanu, the Nigerian football legend who had played for the Gunners.
Though, the expectations were still there, he never got a chance to debut with the first team at Arsenal due to work permit issues. Instead, he was off to a series of loan moves before finally landing up to Spain at SD Huesca.
Barnsley gave him a new beginning and many people thought that at last he would realize his high potential. But, just after a year, his story has gone through another disappointing twist. That has left the fans wondering what went wrong.
Author’s Opinion:
There is no doubt concerning Nwakali’s talent. However, his, at times, undisciplined nature and lack of focus have determined his course more than his technical ability. He will have to not only rely on his skill but also on his feelingd and loyalty.
As featured on GoonerNews.com
