Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce admits he fancied former Celta Vigo striker Nene over the summer.
He said: "When a club gets relegated in Spain, it's the same as it is in England: you have a look and try and nick their best players.
"We got De Ridder from Celta and now Oubina. The centre-forward they had there, Nene, is a good player too. He's gone to Monaco.
"We had a chat with De Ridder about Oubina, of course, and he mentioned he was an excellent player and a good lad."