Kelechi Nwakali has returned to pre-season training with Barnsley as the Nigerian midfielder looks to revive his career ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, Bold Sports reports.
The 28-year-old, on Tuesday, shared photos on his official Instagram account showing himself training hard alongside teammates as preparations intensify under newly appointed head coach Daniel Stendel.
Nwakali heads into the new season seeking a fresh start after enduring a difficult spell at Oakwell. The former Nigeria youth international made 26 appearances during his debut campaign but gradually slipped down the pecking order under former manager Conor Hourihane.
His future at the League One club was the subject of repeated speculation over the past year, with reports suggesting he had been deemed surplus to requirements. Despite expectations that he would leave during previous transfer windows, no move materialised.
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Instead, Nwakali spent much of last season featuring for Barnsley’s development squad to maintain his fitness before earning a late return to first-team action. He made four substitute appearances towards the end of the campaign, accumulating 52 minutes on the pitch.
The midfielder’s struggles were compounded by disciplinary issues. Earlier reports pointed to internal concerns at the club, while he also received a straight red card during a development squad fixture against Birmingham City’s academy after an altercation.
Despite those setbacks, Barnsley retained faith in the former Arsenal player, keeping him in their plans for the upcoming season as Stendel begins his second spell in charge of the club.
Once regarded as one of Nigeria’s brightest prospects, Nwakali captained the Golden Eaglets to victory at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup and won the tournament’s Golden Ball, finishing ahead of teammates including Victor Osimhen.
Barnsley will kick off their 2026/27 campaign with an EFL Cup tie against Wigan on August 7 before opening their League One season against Bromley on August 15.
The Tykes will be hoping for a significant improvement after finishing 15th last season. Stendel, who replaced the departing Conor Hourihane at the end of the campaign, previously guided Barnsley to promotion from League One in 2018/19 with a club-record 91 points.
With a new manager at the helm and a fresh campaign on the horizon, Nwakali will be hoping pre-season offers the platform to put a turbulent period behind him and re-establish himself as a key figure in Barnsley’s squad.
