Carlos Espi, Real Madrid’s 6ft 4in summer signing who still flew under the radar

Carlos Espi is Real Madrid’s most intriguing summer signing.

There was little reporting around Espi’s move from Levante until it was announced on July 30, when Madrid paid the 21-year-old striker’s €25million ($29m; £21m) release clause.

Espi is used to flying under the radar — even though he stands at 6ft 4in (194cm).

Last season was his first in La Liga, and he only played five top-flight games before January.

Things changed when Levante appointed Portuguese coach Luis Castro in December. Espi went on to score 11 goals for the Valencia-based side and became one of the heroes of their unexpected survival.

Three months later, English, German and Italian clubs were lining up to sign him. Then Real Madrid entered the picture, with academy graduate striker Gonzalo Garcia on his way out. At that point, sources close to Espi say his decision became easy.

But what makes Espi different, and why was his move to the Bernabeu kept under wraps?

Espi was born into a working-class family with no connection to football, 40 kilometres from Valencia, in the neighbouring municipality of Tavernes de Valldigna. He started playing for his local club before moving to Alzira, another team from the province.

It was not until he went through a physical growth spurt that he attracted Levante’s attention, joining them in 2022.

“What stood out was his physique — his height and his frame,” says Levante academy director Joaqui Navarro, who brought Espi to the club, in an interview with The Athletic. “At 16, to be over 1.9 metres tall for that position was very important.

“Although he was coordinated, there were still plenty of areas of his game that needed work, particularly his play with his back to goal.”

Carlos Espi scored 13 goals for Levante last season (Cristina Quicler/AFP via Getty Images)

A 19-year-old Espi played a key role in Levante’s promotion to La Liga in 2025, scoring six goals and providing two assists in 36 second-division appearances.

Last season was more complicated. Levante signed another highly rated striker, Karl Etta Eyong, who had been on Barcelona’s and Real Madrid’s radars. The former Villarreal forward was given a starting role, with Espi benched and then suffering a muscle injury that kept him out for four games across November and December.

“We were in a very bad situation, we had 10 points by the winter break,” Levante club president Pablo Sanchez tells The Athletic. “We could have been relegated, but we had a clear idea: if we went down, we would go down sticking to our principles.

“We have a very good academy. Our foundation and our business model is to work through the academy. That is why we hired Castro. Espi’s emergence came from Castro’s decision to trust him.

“He scores goals, but above all, important goals. It also happened in the promotion season. It is true that he often scored in the final minutes of games and people said that was what he was for, but in the first division he showed he was a 90-minute player.”

Espi scored goals against several direct relegation rivals, including Alaves, Girona, Real Oviedo and Real Mallorca, and displaced Etta Eyong as the starting No 9.

He has learned to use his size to devastating effect from set pieces, one of his main routes to goal.

Espi’s performances even led to him being named in Luis de la Fuente’s preliminary Spain squad for the World Cup, according to sources — who asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — but he did not make the final cut. De la Fuente opted for a more established reserve striker in Borja Iglesias, the 33-year-old Celta Vigo forward.

Madrid came in for him after interest from other clubs, particularly in the Premier League, with Brighton and Hove Albion having seriously considered signing him. Those close to Espi say his mind was made up as soon as the record 15-time European champions showed interest.

A call from Jose Mourinho was also significant. The returning Portuguese manager explained what Espi’s role would be as Madrid targeted a traditional ‘No 9’. Things began to fall into place as Garcia’s €40million move to Fulham was finalised, eventually being announced four days after Espi’s arrival.

A call from Jose Mourinho proved crucial in Carlos Espi’s transfer (Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)

Madrid asked everyone involved to move with extreme discretion. That was one of the reasons the transfer remained a secret until so late.

“Horrible, it has been horrible,” Espi’s father, Juanjo, told radio station Cope after the announcement. “Keeping it secret, not being able to talk about it — not even to my mother or to my brother, nobody.”

“I was already expecting Madrid to come for him the previous year because I could see the potential Espi had,” says Levante president Sanchez. “It was almost a wish of mine. He is a Spanish player and Madrid are looking particularly hard at that profile as they try to make the squad more Spanish.”

Espi became the most expensive academy sale in Levante’s history. The only player they have sold for more is Jefferson Lerma, who joined Bournemouth in a €30million deal in 2018.

Real Madrid have experienced success signing players from Levante. Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas joined from the Valencia club in 2014 after an outstanding season in La Liga and an impressive World Cup in Brazil, and went on to help them win three Champions Leagues in a row from 2016 to 2018.

Centre-back Joan Martinez, one of Madrid’s most promising academy players at 18 years old, also joined from Levante’s youth system in 2023.

Espi joins a Madrid squad packed with stars, including Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and headline summer signings such as Yan Diomande, who joined in a deal worth up to €140million.

Those close to Espi believe he will adapt easily and say he understands what his role will be. Espi can be reserved at first, but is described by those close to him as being affectionate, sociable and outgoing when he feels comfortable. That should help him settle into a dressing room full of strong personalities.

With Mbappe as the focal point and Endrick expected to stay at least until January, Espi knows he will have to earn his minutes and establish himself as a reliable alternative. He may take encouragement from the example of Joselu, another direct backup striker who played a crucial role in their La Liga-Champions League double two years ago.

Joselu became a hero for Real Madrid during his 2023-24 loan spell from Espanyol (David Ramos/Getty Images)

So far, things are going well.

Barely a week after his transfer was completed, Espi scored his first goal, producing a classic poacher’s finish in Madrid’s 2-1 friendly victory against Ferencvaros in Budapest. They face German side Schalke in another pre-season game tonight (Sunday).

“Espi is special because of his ability to score from very few chances,” says Navarro.

“The coach, Castro, was already saying it last year: he has no ceiling,” adds Sanchez, who has no doubts about Espi making the step up.

“That kid will be a star. But he will also be a good person.”