Real Madrid have gone into the market for a forward who, at first glance, does not seem to match the profile of the signings that usually grab attention at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Carlos Espi, 21, left Levante on Thursday to sign for the club until June 2031, after the Merengues activated his £21.25m release clause.
Little known outside Spain, the centre-forward arrives to fill the void left by Gonzalo Garcia, who moved to Fulham, but also to add a characteristic not currently in abundant supply in Real Madrid’s attack.
Espi is not a signing brought in to immediately take anyone’s place. Nor does he appear to have been recruited to compete on equal terms with Kylian Mbappe. The logic behind the move is different.
Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid now have a more conventional alternative for matches in which pace, mobility and attacks on the ground are not enough, a player capable of playing with his back to goal, competing for first balls, holding up possession in the final third and turning a long pass or cross into an attacking move.
It is a move that makes even more sense when looking at what the forward did for Levante last season. Espi made 25 LaLiga appearances, 13 of them as a starter, and scored 11 goals.
Ten of those goals came in the final 13 matchdays, precisely the period when Levante needed an attacking response to avoid relegation. That form earned him LaLiga’s Under-23 Player of the Season award.
Carlos Espi looks a smart addition for Real Madrid
© Imago / AgenciaLOF
Espi is, above all, a centre-forward. There is no need to look for a more sophisticated definition. His game starts in the box and returns to it.
The forward offers a physical presence, strong aerial ability and the capacity to shield the ball when receiving it with his back to goal. That characteristic might sound simple, but it carries real value within a squad like Real Madrid’s.
There are matches in which opponents manage to control the spaces for Mbappe to attack in behind, or prevent the wingers from receiving the ball in situations where they can accelerate. In those scenarios, bringing Espi on effectively changes the question being posed to the opposition defence.
Instead of trying to find space behind the back line, Real Madrid can look for the forward between the centre-backs.
A longer pass no longer necessarily means giving possession back: it can instead lead to a physical duel, a knock-down, a second ball and, from there, a fresh wave of attack. It offers the team a different way of progressing up the pitch.
Espi’s hold-up play is one of his most interesting attributes. He is able to use his body to shield the ball and give team-mates time to get closer, while his presence between the centre-backs can also open up channels for players arriving from deeper positions.
He is not simply a forward waiting for crosses inside the six-yard box. There is real value in his movement before the moment of finishing.
Espi could become Mourinho’s version of Joselu
© Iconsport / PA Images
And, of course, there is the more obvious element: his ability to finish attacking moves.
His 11 goals in 25 LaLiga appearances are not enough to place him among European football’s leading scorers, but they represent a strong calling card for a player who only made his top-flight debut last season.
That combination is what brings the young forward close to the role Joselu performed at Real Madrid in 2023-24.
Not because the two are identical players, but because they fulfil a similar function: giving the manager a different plan when a match calls for a traditional, physical, direct centre-forward.
Joselu was valuable for exactly that reason. He came on in matches when Real Madrid needed a different way of attacking and, on several occasions, managed to turn seemingly unpromising balls into goalscoring situations. Espi could become that player for Mourinho.
Could the new signing affect Endrick’s future?
© Imago / Jose Breton / AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire
There is, however, an important consequence of Espi’s arrival. The signing increases competition in a position that already had an unresolved situation: that of Endrick.
The Brazilian returned to Real Madrid this week after featuring at the World Cup, arriving off the back of a loan spell at Lyon, where he was sent after struggling for game time the previous season.
In France, he left a much stronger impression, closer to what was expected of him upon arriving in Europe, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists in 21 appearances.
The issue is that Gonzalo Garcia’s departure appeared to open up a more direct path for Endrick. The two are both centre-forwards competing for a similar role within the squad, but Gonzalo had the upper hand last season for being better adapted to the club and two years older.
Now, Real Madrid have replaced that exact role with another young Spanish forward with similar characteristics.