RCD Espanyol youngster Omar El Hilali has said he turned down big-money moves to Manchester United and Barcelona, revealing he chose to follow his heart.
Despite Espanyol’s lacklustre showings — 18th in the rankings — in La Liga, El Hilali is confident that turning down proposals from Man Utd and Barca was the right move.
El Hilali, 21, has been in excellent form for Espanyol in the 2024-25 La Liga season. The young defender has gone toe-to-toe with some of the best attackers in the business, coming out on top more often than not. He has used his physicality to shield the ball, game-reading to analyze threats, and made use of his excellent distribution skills to pass the ball out of danger.
Playing 17 games in La Liga, El Hilali has won 35 tackles, made 22 blocks, intercepted the ball 16 times, and performed 61 clearances.
Omar El Hilali Does Not Regret Turning Down Manchester United and Barcelona
El Hilali — a natural right-back who can play in any defensive position — rose through Espanyol’s youth system before joining the first team in January 2023. Had the Moroccan U23 star chosen differently in his youth, he could have been playing for the biggest team in Catalonia: Barcelona. He, however, does not have any regrets, as he thinks choosing Espanyol was the right call.
In an interview with Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, El Hilali said:
“I had the opportunity to choose between Barça and Espanyol, and I chose Espanyol because I felt that it had to be that way, and my family also thought it was the best thing for me.
“It was the sporting project I wanted. And I think I made the right choice because now I am living a dream.”
El Hilali added that he received an offer from Premier League side Manchester United while Barcelona tried to sign him a second time.
“They [Manchester United] wanted me, just as Barça tried to sign me again, but I was very clear that I wanted to stay at Espanyol,” El Hilali continued.
“Sometimes money can make you doubt, but that was not the case for me, because I knew what I wanted. I preferred to follow my heart, I felt that I had to stay here.”
El Hilali, who made his debut for Espanyol in La Liga 2 in the 2020-21 season, has played 68 games for the senior team in all competitions, providing four assists. His contract with the club expires on 30th June 2027.
