Nolito has hit out at his time in England and expressed his desire to leave Manchester City just 12 months after joining from Celta Vigo.
The Spain international was one of Pep Guardiola’s first signings as City manager last summer but the 30-year-old’s playing time gradually decreased over the course of the season before almost disappearing in the second half of the campaign.
Nolito was pictured talking with Sevilla’s new technical director Oscar Arias on Tuesday fuelling speculation of a return to Spain, but while he wants to leave England he has downplayed that meeting as coincidental.
“I am under the contract, so the club will decide, but I want to leave,” Noltio told El Transistor, via The Guardian. “I haven’t played in six months. I will do everything possible to make Spain’s World Cup squad.
“I have learnt very, very little English - it’s very hard. Just ‘tomorrow’, ‘good morning, ‘good afternoon’ and a little more. My daughter’s face has changed colour - it looks like she’s been living in a cave.
“I was just casually shopping for clothes with my wife in Seville. I went to get coffee and bumped into Sevilla’s director of football casually.”
City have already signed Bernardo Silva from Monaco this summer and that will only decrease Nolito’s first-team opportunities further next season.
The former Celta winger hasn’t started for City since their FA Cup tie with Huddersfield in February, although Guardiola’s side won all nine of the league matches with Nolito in the starting XI last season.
For more stats on Nolito, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
