Carlos Espi’s Real Madrid Move Surprised Many

When Real Madrid’s fifth signing of the summer turned out to be Levante’s Carlos Espí, it came totally out of the blue for many.

A window filled with high-profile moves and the promise of a record-breaking deal for winger Yan Diomande meant the signing of a little-known La Liga striker caught many off guard, but it didn’t take long for an army of supporters to lift his Instagram following from 24,000 to around half a million in a matter of days.

Espí’s transfer was announced the same day that fellow striker Gonzalo García left the Bernabéu for Fulham in a €40 million deal, with Madrid then paying the 21-year-old‘s €25 million release clause.

Premier League duo Brighton and Hove Albion and Hull City had been seen as more likely transfer destinations for Espí, before Madrid seemingly stole in at the 11th hour. However, according to Levante president Pablo Sánchez, who told MARCA of his hope that Espí does “brilliantly” in the capital, that was not the case. Madrid had been tracking the rising star for some time.

Espí announced himself to be “the happiest man in the world” upon his arrival at Madrid, also telling MARCA he “couldn’t believe it” when he first learned of the 15-time Champions League winners’ interest.

But what will he offer the recently re-appointed José Mourinho and why should we not be surprised by his signing?

What Physical Espí Offers Madrid

Carlos Espí Escrihuela. 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/8ck1QYzUim
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) July 31, 2026

Espí’s rise in Spanish soccer has been rapid. The Valencian-born youngster only made his first-team debut in 2024 and became an important player in the club’s promotion campaign the following season.

Espí then spent the first half of his debut campaign in La Liga largely unused, before a change in manager saw him become pivotal in delivering Levante to safety with a 16th-placed finish. After scoring 11 times (from an xG of just 7.57), he was named as La Liga’s U-23 Player of the Season in 2025–26.

Standing at 6'4", Espi has fast become known as one of Spanish football’s greatest aerial threats, with only Atletico Madrid's Alexander Sorloth (38.5%) scoring a greater percentage of headed goals than his 36.4 last season. However, despite his height, he is not a sluggish forward and recorded an impressive top speed of 32 km/h in La Liga last season.

In an interview with AS, one of Espí former youth coaches described his former student as playing like “Borja Iglesias and even [Zlatan] Ibrahimović.”

Mourinho’s Plan B Option

⚽ ¡Así juega Carlos Espí! pic.twitter.com/oRtQRuGI97
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) July 30, 2026

It had been reported for some time that Mourinho had been on the lookout for a new striking option to give Madrid a ‘plan B’ this season—something the club used to great effect during the 2023–24 season with veteran forward Joselu, who scored 18 times in 49 appearances and played a major role in Champions League glory.

As a large, physical striker who loves to press, can play with his back to goal and will dominate in the air, Espí has all the ingredients to be the kind of target man Mourinho wants. His profile offers something markedly different to Kylian Mbappé, Endrick or any other forward player on the books currently.

With Madrid desperate to turn their fortunes around and deliver a trophy after two barren seasons, a deep roster will be needed to compete on all fronts in a large, demanding season. Expect to see the young forward thrown on when Madrid are struggling against a low block, need a late goal or in games when Mbappé is rested.

Keeping the ‘Dream’ From Turning to a Nightmare

José Mourinho — Espí’s next job is proving his worth to Mourinho. | Antonio Villalba/Real Madrid/Getty Images

Speaking during preseason, Mourinho described his new forward as “waking up from a dream”.

Whether intentional or not, Mourinho’s words hinted at the reality facing the 21-year-old, whose signing only marks the beginning of the hard work rather than the end of it.

With Mbappé practically unmovable as Madrid’s starting striker, Espí has a serious job on his hands establishing his role at the biggest club in the world. Scoring regularly and proving your worth is only made exponentially more difficult when your minutes on the grass are likely to be limited and irregular.

Ultimately, Real Madrid will view Espí’s signing as a low-risk opportunity—one that they will be able to recoup their financial outlay on in years to come, even if he isn’t a goalscoring success.

Asked about sharing a locker room with Mbappé and Vinícius Jr, Espí told reporters: “They are among the best in the world. Seeing myself there, next to them, is indescribable. Unique. Very happy.”

The challenge for the youngster now is proving he deserves to be there.

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