Former Arsenal midfielder Kelechi Nwakali released a statement on Wednesday over his contract termination by SD Huesca.

Kelechi Nwakali (Photo via Instagram / Nwakali25)
Kelechi Nwakali during his time with Arsenal (Photo via Instagram / Nwakali25)

Posting through official club channels on Tuesday, SD Huesca announced that they were terminating the contract of former Gunner Kelechi Nwakali.

Huesca wrote that they’d communicated this decision to the player and wished him the best for the future.

In response to the statement, Nwakali posted one of his own on Twitter on Wednesday.

Nwakali alleges that Huesca Sporting Director Ruben Garcia pressured him not to go to AFCON with Nigeria due to it ‘not being an important tournament’, and warned the player that attending the event would mean he wouldn’t play for Huesca again.

Nwakali further claims that when he asked for his unpaid wages to be paid to help fund his mother’s hospital bill, Garcia responded that they would pay him if he signed a new contract (with his current deal expiring this summer).

Garcia also allegedly threatened not to pay Nwakali on another occasion, if the player didn’t accept a January 31st transfer to another La Liga 2 club.

Garcia and Huesca’s lawyers are now in an ongoing dispute with the Spanish Footballers Union, and before his contract termination, Nwakali was made to train on his own.

Nwakali adds that Huesca still haven’t paid his wages, and claims he refused to sign mutual termination papers on Tuesday.

Kelechi Nwakali
Kelechi Nwakali

You can read Nwakali’s statement in full here or below.

It’s obviously a real shame to see a former Arsenal player in a situation like this, and we can only hope that the Spanish Footballers Union can help him to reach a positive resolution with Huesca before he joins a good club this summer.