Manchester City Transfer News: Nolito Reportedly Subject of Real Betis Talks

Manchester City are reportedly in talks with La Liga club Real Betis regarding a £3.4 million move for Citizens forward Nolito this summer.   

BBC Sport reported on Tuesday that City were negotiating a deal with Betis for the transfer of their Manchester misfit, with the reported transfer fee more than £10 million less than they paid for him in July 2016.

The former Celta Vigo star has endured a disappointing maiden campaign in the Premier League after joining old Barcelona B boss Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium, starting just 16 times in all competitions.

The January arrival of Brazilian ace Gabriel Jesus has only limited Nolito's first-team chances further under Guardiola, and the 30-year-old appears set for a return to his native Spain at the end of the campaign.

The minuscule fee—at least compared with Nolito's previous value—suggests City are eager to shift any dead weight at the club this summer, as James Robson of the Manchester Evening News recently suggested:

Guardiola's men sit fourth in the Premier League but will finish third if they win their last two matches—although that's still not where the tactician may have expected to be at the end of his first season in England.

However, Nolito's exit may not be as simple as first suggested after Yahoo's La Liga writer, Andrew Gaffney, provided further details on Betis' hopes for a deal:

Per the BBC's report, Nolito earns £100,000 per week at the Etihad, but that appears to be far above Betis' pay grade.

The Seville outfit could be getting their hands on a bargain if said move goes ahead for the price, with Nolito having scored 39 goals and made 23 assists in his 109 appearances for Celta Vigo, per Transfermarkt.

The winger scored at least a dozen goals in each of his three seasons in Vigo, having come through the ranks at Barcelona B before finally establishing himself as a first-team star at Balaidos.

Nolito played just 39 minutes of Premier League football in 2017, and the arrival of Jesus has had a major impact on Guardiola's plans moving forward, even forcing former untouchable Sergio Aguero onto the bench at times.

If the Argentinian is no longer guaranteed a starting spot, Nolito is likely to struggle in cracking his way back into the first-team plans, with a return to Spain's top flight looking likely as Los Verdiblancos hover.