[REVISION HISTORY]

Real Madrid signs Carlos Espí; Endrick's future uncertain

Updated 17 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-25 16:02 UTC → 2026-09-19 12:23 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Real Madrid signed 21-year-old striker Carlos Espí from Levante on a five-year contract running until June 2031. The club activated a €25 million release clause to secure the 1.94 m, aerially strong forward, a move specifically requested by José Mourinho to bolster the attack. Espí, who was La Liga’s best U-23 player last season, arrives as a replacement for Gonzalo García, who departed for Fulham for approximately €40 million. Espí has already begun his tenure by scoring his first goal for the club during a 2-0 pre-season victory against Ferencvaros in Budapest. His clinical form, including a goal against Schalke, has made him the team’s top scorer during summer friendly matches despite playing only 150 minutes. This performance provides Mourinho with a tactical option to rotate the squad and rest players like Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, who have had limited playing time due to post-World Cup recovery and integration periods. Following his debut goal in a La Liga match against Espanyol, the club officially presented Espí alongside president Florentino Pérez. ~~The arrival of Espí has intensified competition in the attacking line, leaving the future of Brazilian striker Endrick uncertain.~~ In the second round of La Liga, Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory against Espanyol, driven by a 90th-minute winning goal from Espí, who entered the match as a substitute. The match also saw on-pitch tension between Vinícius Júnior and Arda ~~Güler; Vinícius reportedly expressed frustration toward Güler, stating, “Arda, Arda, at least once give me~~ Güler. Espí has continued to make a significant impact despite limited playing time, scoring two decisive winning goals in approximately 26 minutes of action, including his strike against Espanyol and a subsequent winner against Elche. Currently serving as a substitute behind Kylian Mbappé and Endrick, Espí has earned praise from Mourinho, who noted the ~~ball, it is always~~ difficulty of playing both Espí and Mbappé together in a 4-4-2 system. Mbappé has also expressed confidence in the ~~same.”~~ striker, predicting he will score many goals due to his “strong intuition.”

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