[REVISION HISTORY]

Carlos Espí's rising impact at Real Madrid and with Spain

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2026-10-01 20:48 UTC → 2026-10-18 08:02 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~~ began 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 against Ferencvaros and ~~integration periods.~~ Schalke. Following his debut goal in a La Liga match against Espanyol, the club officially presented ~~Espí~~ him alongside president Florentino Pérez. In the second round of La Liga, ~~Real Madrid~~ Espí secured a 2-1 victory against ~~Espanyol, driven by~~ Espanyol with a 90th-minute winning goal ~~from Espí, who entered the match~~ after entering as a substitute. The match was also ~~saw~~ marked by on-pitch tension ~~between~~ when Vinícius Júnior ~~and~~ expressed frustration toward Arda ~~Güler.~~ Güler, reportedly saying, “Arda, Arda, at least once give me the ball, it is always the same.” While Espí has ~~continued to make a significant impact despite limited playing time, scoring two~~ provided decisive winning ~~goals in approximately 26 minutes of action,~~ goals, including ~~his~~ a strike against ~~Espanyol and~~ Elche, he is currently navigating squad adaptation. Despite a ~~subsequent winner~~ strong performance against ~~Elche. Currently serving as~~ Roma, he is still seeking his first goal at the Santiago Bernabéu after a ~~substitute behind Kylian Mbappé and Endrick,~~ recent strike was disallowed for offside. Due to a suspension for Vinícius Júnior, Espí ~~has earned praise from Mourinho, who noted the difficulty of~~ may see increased playing ~~both Espí and Mbappé together in a 4-4-2 system. Mbappé has also expressed confidence~~ time in upcoming fixtures, such as the ~~striker, predicting he will score many goals due to his “strong intuition.”~~ match against Sevilla.

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