- Real Madrid complete the €25m signing of Carlos Espi from Levante as Jose Mourinho secures his fifth signing of the summer
Real Madrid complete Carlos Espi transfer from Levante
Real Madrid have completed the signing of Carlos Espi from Levante after activating his €25 million release clause, according to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The arrival of the striker becomes the Madrid club's fifth signing of the summer under new manager Jose Mourinho. Meanwhile, they are also making progress on the deal to bring Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig and Rodri from Manchester City.
Gonzalo Garcia's departure opened the door for Espi
Jose Mourinho wanted a new striker in the squad, as Gonzalo Garcia decided to leave the club to reunite with Álvaro Arbeloa at Fulham, and Real Madrid is set to receive €40 million from the deal of Garcia, which helped them to fund the release clause of Espi to replace him.
As Carlos Espi was open for a move to the Spanish capital, the Spanish giants quickly moved to secure him on a 5-year deal.
How Carlos Espi fits into Mourinho's plans
The player is expected to feature as a super sub for most of the time because Mbappe will be the undisputed starter in the striker role.
He rose through the ranks of the Levante youth system and made his senior debut in the Segunda Division in November 2023. He scored 6 goals in 2024-25 and helped Levante return to La Liga after 3 years. After impressive performances with the club, he earned callups to the U-18 and U-20 Spanish squads.
Espi arrives as one of Spain's most promising young forwards and offers Mourinho an alternative profile to Kylian Mbappé. Standing at 1.94 meters, the striker combines physicality, aerial ability, and aggressive pressing, qualities Real Madrid lacked in recent years.
What Carlos Espi brings to Real Madrid
He is known for being a physical presence in the box with his frame of 194 cm. He will use his height and strength in the opposition box to pose an aerial threat, and the 21-year-old can also disrupt opponents' build-up with intense pressing and capitalize on turnovers.
The arrival of Carlos Espi will provide the missing aerial presence in the opposition box for Los Blancos. He can pose a serious threat to opposition defenders as he is set to receive crosses from elite fullbacks and midfielders like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bernardo Silva, and Marc Cucurella.
Real Madrid continues summer rebuild
Espi is expected to join Real Madrid's first-team squad ahead of the upcoming season as Mourinho continues reshaping the squad during the summer transfer window.