Manchester City signing Nolito has revealed he turned down the chance to return to Barcelona this summer.

The 29-year-old Spanish forward left Celta Vigo to join City in a £13.8million deal despite interest from the Catalan giants with whom he spent about five years before joining Benfica in 2013.

Nolito says the opportunity to again play alongside Lionel Messi at Camp Nou was something he considered but in the end, opted to follow former Blaugrana boss Pep Guardiola to the Etihad Stadium.

"Yes, it's something I spoke about with my family and my management," he said of choosing between Barca and City.

"I thought it was the best decision for me and my career.

"I wish Barcelona all the best and I am very proud of their interest. I have been lucky to play with Messi a bit, but what I want in life is to enjoy my football and be happy.

"I was fortunate to play in Barcelona, although not much in the first team. Now I'm excited about playing at City and I will try to do great things here.

"I have come to the Premier League to play with City and under Pep Guardiola, who will play me in the first-team. I'm very happy with the decision I took.

"The truth is I enjoyed working with him in Barcelona even though it wasn't much time. It's a reason for me to come here but not the only one. It was also about City. They have a great team, and it's a great project."