Barnsley have signed Nigerian international midfielder Kelechi Nwakali on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old joins from Chaves, for whom he made 33 appearances for in the Portuguese top flight last season as they were relegated.

He started at Arsenal but never played for them then had spells in the Netherlands and briefly the Spanish top flight with Huesca. He captained Nigeria to the under 17s World Cup win in 2015, being named player of the tournament, then played four times for the senior team.

Sporting director Mladen Sormaz said: “There is no doubt that Kelechi is a really talented player who can offer Darrell something different. We knew that the player wanted to return to England and that gave us an opportunity to bring him to Oakwell and we believe his experience playing in some of Europe’s top leagues will benefit us over the coming years. He has had a shortened pre-season and we’ll ease him into first team action over the coming weeks. “

Kelechi said: “I am very happy to sign for Barnsley Football Club. I spoke to Mladen and the head coach Darrell earlier in the summer and I knew that this was an exciting opportunity for me, I know I can bring a lot to the team. I am looking forward to being back in England and making Oakwell my home for the next three years.”