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Real Madrid agree deal to sign Levante striker Carlos Espi

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Real Madrid have agreed a deal to sign Levante striker Carlos Espi.

Madrid and Levante announced on Thursday that an agreement had been reached for Espi to move to the Bernabeu on a five-year contract through to 2031.

The 21-year-old striker had a €25million release clause in his Levante contract.

The Athletic reported on June 24 that new Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho wanted to sign a striker this summer, but the club required a first-team departure before making the addition to the squad.  On Thursday, The Athletic reported that Fulham were set to sign 22-year-old Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia

Madrid have signed Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella during this transfer window. The Spanish club are also working on deals to secure RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande and Manchester City’s Rodri.

Espi, who has represented Spain at under-19 and under-20 levels, came through Levante’s youth academy after joining the club in 2022. He made his first-team debut in February 2024 and his La Liga debut in August 2025.

Espi scored seven goals in 38 games in La Liga 2, Spain’s second division, before scoring 11 La Liga goals in 25 games last campaign. He scored 20 goals in 66 games for Levante. 


Does Madrid’s Espi move make sense?

This is yet another swift move by Madrid in this transfer window that is being very different from previous years.

While Garcia’s transfer was being finalised, work was underway in parallel to find his replacement. Some Madrid fans have not been happy with what they interpret as essentially a swap of players, but these deals go beyond simply exchanging one player for another.

Garcia’s wanted to play more than Mourinho could guarantee him; Alvaro Arbeloa and Fulham saw it that way and convinced him. Furthermore, the club will earn around €40 million, whilst retaining preferential rights as well as 30 per cent of any future sale. Everyone happy.

Espi is also Spanish and young, but his footballing profile isn’t exactly the same as Garcia’s. The difference in height is the most obvious sign of this, and none of Mourinho’s attackers offered that advantage in aerial balls.

Espi’s €25m release clause made it possible to reach an agreement without excessive financial risk, particularly as the club had already agreed around €40m for Gonzalo.

In short, Espi is an affordable young player who perfectly fits a very specific role that is never a spare part in any squad, and one whom Mourinho had already requested; the club is once again showing that it is listening closely to its manager.

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The Hundred 2026 results: Trent Rockets beat Manchester Super Giants to move into second

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The Hundred women’s competition, Old Trafford

Trent Rockets 153-8 (100 balls): Dunkley 57 (33), Luff 51 (26); Ecclestone 2-24

Manchester Super Giants 122 all out (93 balls): Lanning 35 (24); Gardner 4-16

Trent Rockets won by 31 runs

Scorecard. Table

Half-centuries from Sophia Dunkley and Sophie Luff helped Trent Rockets beat Manchester Super Giants by 31 runs and move above their opponents into second in the Hundred table.

Dunkley hit 57 from 33 balls and Luff 51 from 26 as the pair put on a second-wicket partnership of 91 at Old Trafford, helping set up a score of 153-8.

Ash Gardner then took 4-16 in the Super Giants reply, removing Meg Lanning and Paige Scholfield before returning to take the final two wickets of the match as the home side were bowled out for 122 with seven balls remaining.

Rockets lost Australian opener Beth Mooney for two after being put into bat, but Dunkley and Luff soon put the visitors in control, hitting 14 fours and five sixes between them.

The partnership was broken when Luff was caught by Smriti Mandhana off the bowling off Maitlan Brown, before Sophie Ecclestone removed Dunkley and Bess Heath (0) in the space of three balls.

Rockets lost wickets steadily from that point, their last three dismissals run-outs as they pushed to up their total, with Georgia Adams their third-highest scorer with an unbeaten 20.

Super Giants never got going in their reply, with their best partnership one of 30 between Meg Lanning and Kathryn Bryce (27) for the fifth wicket.

Captain Lanning, who top-scored with 35 from the top of the order, was trapped lbw by Gardner, who had already had Scholfield (3) caught and bowled with her first delivery.

The home side lost their last six wickets for 33 runs with Gardner closing the match with two wickets in three balls, having Ryana MacDonald-Gay caught by Dunkley and then bowling Grace Ballinger.

The four points for Rockets’ third win in four games moves them two points above Super Giants, who have two wins, a loss and a no result from their four fixtures.

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Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama is getting his own signature shoe with Nike: Sources

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Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama has been a Nike athlete since 2022, before he even entered the NBA. David L. Nemec / Getty Images

Victor Wembanyama has agreed to a contract extension with Nike that will include a signature shoe, league and industry sources told The Athletic.

Wembanyama, who further became a face of the brand during the San Antonio Spurs’ run to the NBA Finals, will join LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker, Ja Morant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Nike’s current NBA player signature shoe collection.

ESPN was the first to report the deal. The sources spoke with The Athletic on the condition of anonymity because the signature shoe deal has not been formally announced.

Wembanyama, 22, was the first unanimous winner of the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award and finished third in MVP voting last season. During the postseason, Nike began running more advertising on social media featuring Wembanyama, celebrating his wins on the road to the finals. Wembanyama has primarily played in Nike’s G.T. series of shoes, featuring a small alien logo the brand first unveiled when he became a Nike athlete in 2022, the year before he was drafted by the Spurs. Nike has sold a special edition Wembanyama version of the G.T., but this will be his first signature shoe with the brand.

In a video posted to social media Friday by Nike and Wembanyama, they unveiled a new Wembanyama alien logo that takes on a subtler form. The new logo features a stylized V over a W, creating the image of an alien in the negative space.

Nike recently released a special “Nike Atelier” capsule collection in conjunction with Wembanyama, featuring a reimagined lifestyle version of the T90 Laser III soccer shoe.

“We are proud to continue supporting Victor Wembanyama’s journey with Nike,” Nike said in a statement to The Athletic. “As one of the most unique and influential athletes in the world, Victor is a generational talent who continues to inspire the game’s next generation. We are excited about all that we’ve built together and look forward to more wins ahead.”

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How to watch Storm vs. Dream: TV channel and streaming options for July 31

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Natisha Hiedeman leads the Seattle Storm (6-24) against the Atlanta Dream (17-10) after scoring 33 points in a 105-95 loss to the Fever. The game is on Friday, July 31, 2026, tipping at 7:30 p.m. ET on ION.

How to watch Seattle Storm vs. Atlanta Dream

Seattle vs. Atlanta odds

  • Spread: Atlanta -12.5 (-105), Seattle +12.5 (-115)
  • Favorite Moneyline: Atlanta -699
  • Underdog Moneyline: Seattle +500
  • Total: 178.5
  • Total Over Odds: -110
  • Total Under Odds: -110

Injury reports

Dream

Te-Hina Paopao: Out (Leg)

Storm

Dominique Malonga: Probable (Back)

Stats to know

  • The Dream score 89.1 points per game, just 1.5 more points than the 87.6 the Storm allow.
  • Seattle’s 82.3 points per game are just 2.8 fewer points than the 85.1 Atlanta gives up.
  • Rhyne Howard puts up 17.2 points, 3.4 assists and 4.0 boards per contest.
  • Hiedeman puts up 16.1 points, 2.7 boards and 4.6 assists per contest, while shooting 45.6% from the floor and 35.8% from beyond the arc with 2.1 made treys per contest (ninth in WNBA).

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Julio Aguilar, Ethan Miller, Steph Chambers / Getty Images

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