Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Nolito from Spanish club, Celta Vigo. The 29-year-old was subject to long-standing interest from the Citizens and Barcelona but has chosen to join Pep Guardiola's side in the Premier League.
Nolito is a former Barcelona graduate having played three years at the Barcelona B academy scoring 29 goals in 106 appearances. A move to Benfica and then Celta Vigo put him on the map of some of Europe's top clubs. A move to Barcelona beckoned but – as the club president confirmed – he could'nt make the move.
Now at Manchester, Nolito will link up with his teammates sooner than expected given Spain's exit from the UEFA European Championships. "I’ll try to bring as much as I possibly can," he said.
"I’ll do everything that the manager asks of me, try my absolute best and do everything I can to try to repeat the form I’ve shown throughout my career at various clubs. It’s just about trying to play my normal game and let’s hope that I can help Manchester City to win games.
"I think that Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. He knows a lot about the game and he’s going to help me progress as a player and I’m sure he’ll get the best out of me."
Nolito will wear the number nine jersey with the Citizens – who have decided to part ways with multiple current players. Captain Vincent Kompany, midfielders Samir Nasri and Yaya Toure are all expected to leave the Etihad stadium this season.
Nolito is Manchester City's third signing of the summer following the arrivals of Ilkay Gundagon and Aaron Mooy as Pep Guardiola looks to shuffle the entire squad as he prepares to make his debut in the world's most prestigious league.
City confirmed the signing via Twitter and their home page.
