Barnsley coach confirms Nwakali has not been fired, midfielder's camp demands N5b for defamation

Speaking to the media after his side's 1-0 win over Peterborough United on Tuesday night, Barnsley manager Conor Hourihane addressed the future of Kelechi Nwakali amid reports from his homeland suggesting the midfielder had been fired.

The Nigeria international was left out of Barnsley’s opening five fixtures of the new campaign and played no part in pre-season, casting doubt over his future at the club.

Nwakali joined Barnsley last summer and still has a valid contract with the club until June 30, 2027.

Conor Hourihane has rubbished claims from Nigeria that Nwakali has been fired by the club, insisting the midfielder remains on the books at Oakwell.

"Fired? Not heard anything about that," the Barnsley boss told BBC Radio Sheffield when asked about speculation surrounding the Nigeria international's future.

Hourihane clarified that while Nwakali is still contracted to the Reds, he is currently not involved in the first team setup, and reiterated that plans are in place for him to move on before the close of the transfer window.

"Yes, exactly. That would be the plan, for all the parties that would be the best scenario. But in terms of 'fired', that's completely wide of the mark – first time I've heard of it."

Meanwhile, Kelechi’s elder brother, Allwell Nwakali, told allnigeriasoccer.com on Wednesday afternoon that he has instructed his lawyer to issue a letter to Mohammed Suleiman of OGN, demanding N5 billion in damages for defamation of character.

Allwell insisted that he would not allow the matter to slide, alleging that the website had repeatedly published malicious reports about the Nigeria international, and said the measure was meant to prevent a repeat of such incidents

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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