Real Madrid has stepped into the picture for Carlos Espí just as the club closes in on Gonzalo’s move to Fulham, and that has put a nearly finished switch to Hull City in doubt. Espí, a 21-year-old forward at Levante, has stopped all other talks while he waits to see whether Madrid will make a move.
The interest is not casual. Real Madrid has already made initial contact with Levante and with Espí’s camp as it looks for a reliable backup striker for Kylian Mbappé after Gonzalo’s exit. The club wants a forward who can handle the role once filled by Joselu, and Espí has emerged as one of the names gaining traction inside that search.
That timing matters because Hull City had been close to completing the deal. The English club had already submitted a formal bid to Levante and was waiting to finalize personal terms with Espí, who had viewed the move as a strong fit for his next step. Real Madrid’s entry has changed the calculation in a matter of days and left Hull City in limbo.
Levante’s position is clear. Espí is under contract through June 2028, and the club says he can only leave through his release clause, which is set at about $27 million. That means Madrid cannot simply ask its way into the deal if it wants to pull him away from the path already laid out by Hull City.
Espí’s numbers explain why the interest has grown. In his first season in Spain’s top flight, he scored 13 goals in 27 matches across LaLiga and the Copa del Rey, output that has made him look like the kind of striker Madrid has been searching for. Endrick can fill the role for now, but José Mourinho and the club’s sporting department are still looking for another option.
The choice now is blunt. Real Madrid can pay the clause and move fast, or it can leave Hull City to finish what had looked like a done deal. Espí has already paused everything else, including foreign offers, and that makes the next move Madrid’s to make.
