Transfer Centre

Celta president Carlos Mourino: 'Nolito will leave this summer'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 16 June 2016

Celta Vigo president Carlos Mourino admits that Spanish international Nolito is likely to leave the club in this summer's transfer window.

Celta Vigo president Carlos Mourino has admitted for the first time that Spanish attacker Nolito is likely to leave the club in this summer's transfer window.

Nolito, 29, has been strongly linked with a return to Barcelona in the last couple of transfer windows, while Manchester City, according to a report, have recently joined the race.

The Spain international has a release clause in the region of £14m and Mourino has conceded that the player will depart if interested clubs meet the figure quoted.

"I think that Nolito will leave Celta this year," Mourino told Reporte Jalisco. "There are no numbers, no negotiations. He has a buyout clause of €18m. Who pays it, can sign him. Nolito is playing so good and is a player who we have had a lot of advantages from. He was in a second line and we knew how to recover him.

"If anybody pays us the €18m we will lose an important player, but we will have money that we have never had before to boost the squad for next season."

Nolito, who is currently with the Spain squad at Euro 2016, has scored 39 goals in 103 appearances for Celta since joining the club from Granada in 2013.