West Ham United were so determined to sign former Spain international Nolito at one point that they put a bigger financial package on the table than Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
The Hammers were, of course, negotiating from a position of strength in the summer of 2016, even if Man City would end up snatching the then-Celta Vigo winger from under their noses.
Slaven Bilic had just guided West Ham United to a seventh-place finish. As former captain Winston Reid would later reflect upon, Champions League football was a very real ambition at the time for a club who were supposed to reach an all-new level following their move to the London Stadium.
Three at the back at Anfield? 🤔
What changes would you make to West Ham's XI today?
Liverpool v West Ham predicted XI graphic
So when it became apparent that Nolito was leaving Celta after trio of fabulous La Liga campaigns, West Ham saw an opportunity to add one of the rising stars of European football to their roster.
Nolito admits West Ham United wanted to sign him before Manchester City
Now, there has been a lot of discussion over the last few weeks about players West Ham could have signed but didn’t.
Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp was a target when leaving Inter Milan in 1995, as confirmed by the Dutchman himself. And did you know that David Moyes vetoed a deal for Hugo Ekitike? The Liverpool striker who Axel Disasi and co will be hoping to keep quiet in today’s 3pm kick-off.
West Ham maybe missed out on the new Jermain Defoe, too, in Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi.
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
Now, speaking on the El After de Post podcast, Nolito confirms that West Ham offered him a bigger contract that Man City did before his £13 million move to the Etihad a decade ago.
FBL-EUR-C1-MAN CITY-STEAUA BUCHAREST
Photo by OLI SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images
“I had several offers there from various teams,” says Nolito, a Barcelona academy graduate who had hit double figures in three successive La Liga campaigns at Celta.
“What’s more, there was even an offer that [would have] paid me more than Manchester City! It was from West Ham. Financially, they offered more than City. I’ve never really mentioned that. I don’t know if I’ve ever told this story before.”
Nolito does not name the West Ham coach he spoke to at the time. He does call him the ‘assistant’ to Slaven Bilic though. This may point to Edin Terzic, who would later lead Borussia Dortmund to the brink of Bundesliga and Champions League glory.
Interestingly, according to The Athletic, Terzic was an option to take over at Tottenham Hotspur before Igor Tudor joined on a short-term basis a few weeks ago.
“The person called me, I think he was the assistant coach who spoke Spanish,” adds Nolito. “I also had an offer from another European team and, economically, the difference in the payroll wasn’t that much to me.
“But oh well.”
Did you know we once bid £20m for Bruno Fernandes? 💸 🇵🇹
Which former target do you WISH we'd signed?
Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 2-0 during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on February 7, 2026 in Manchester, United Kingdom.
Nolito explains why he struggled in the Premier League
Nolito would last only one year in English football, making 19 Premier League appearances and scoring only four goals. He was hardly the first footballer to arrive on UK soil and struggle with both the miserable English weather and also the physicality of the Premier League.
Unlike Ekitike and Bergkamp – West Ham bid £20 million for Bruno Fernandes at one point too – this is not an opportunity they lived to regret.
“We packed our suitcases and headed to Manchester,” adds Nolito. I was a little scared because, of course, it was another country and another language.
“I was coming from Benfica and Celta, but arriving at a dressing room like Manchester City’s – with Yaya Toure, Kun Aguero, and David Silva – was different. It was a locker room with many stars and, above all, a lot of ego. Each person is their own world, and almost everyone has an ego, which can be a problem.
“Culturally, it was different too. We would shower and everyone would leave immediately, whereas in Spain it’s more of a family atmosphere. I mostly spent my time with the other Spaniards, like Silva and [Jesus] Navas.
“I started well. I scored that brace in one of the first games against Stoke City, but after being sent off against Bournemouth, my presence in the team started to fade. In the end, it’s a top squad with top players and a lot of competition.
“By the end of the year, I wasn’t playing much, and then Sevilla called. I wanted to go there. I realised I don’t adapt well when I’m not playing; when time passes and you aren’t on the pitch, you start to rethink things.
“Those are the decisions you have to make in football.”
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox