Espanyol defender Omar El Hilali no doubt has the appreciation of the fans in Cornella already as an academy product, but has endeared himself to Los Pericos even more by explaining that he turned down Barcelona. The 21-year-old received multiple offers from the Blaugrana as a youngster.
Speaking to Cadena SER (via Sport) this week, El Hilali was asked about interest from Barcelona.
“I said no to Barca. I’ve been a ‘perico’ since I was little and this club has always caught my attention. I had offers from Barca before arriving at Espanyol and also during the transition from cadets to youth players, but I didn’t even think about it,” he explained.
#RCDE right-back Omar El Hilali has revealed that #FCBarcelona tried to sign him on multiple occasions. (Cadena SER)pic.twitter.com/miAUSOZ6Tg
— Football España (@footballespana_) October 10, 2024
He was asked whether he considered it or not, but his response was clear, saying “Yes, yes [I rejected them]. 100%. 1000%. If Espanyol offered me a contract for life, I would stay he forever.”
The Moroccan Olympian, who won the starting spot last year at right-back, but explained that he felt the results had not measured up to their performances, with their win over RCD Mallorca a big boost for their confidence. El Hilali also praised Manolo Gonzalez, saying that his work was the only reason for his success, and that he deserved the position he had for climbing the football ladder to this point.
