Real Madrid moved decisively in the transfer market on Thursday, confirming the signing of 21-year-old striker Carlos Espi from Levante for a reported €25 million ($29 million), fending off interest from multiple Premier League clubs in the process.
The deal ties Espi to the Spanish giants through the 2030-31 season. “(Espi) will join our club for the next five seasons, until June 30, 2031,” Madrid confirmed in a statement announcing the move.
Espi arrives off the back of a productive campaign at Levante, having scored 11 goals in 25 La Liga appearances last season, numbers that appear to have caught Madrid’s attention enough to move ahead of the English clubs reportedly chasing him. His arrival could also reshape the club’s attacking depth chart, with Gonzalo Garcia now expected to depart for Fulham as a result.
The signing extends what has already been an active summer at the Bernabéu, with Espi becoming the fifth new addition to the squad following the arrivals of Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate, and Denzel Dumfries. Madrid appear far from finished, too. According to media reports, the club has already agreed terms with RB Leipzig’s Ivorian winger Yan Diomande, while Manchester City midfielder Rodri continues to be linked as a further target.
The scale of the rebuild reflects the pressure Madrid find themselves under after two consecutive seasons without a major trophy, a drought that prompted the club to bring in veteran coach Jose Mourinho as a replacement for Alvaro Arbeloa. With multiple positions being reinforced across the squad, Espi’s arrival looks less like an isolated purchase and more like one piece of a broader effort to restore Madrid’s competitive edge heading into the new campaign.
