Hull City's move for 21-year-old Spanish striker Carlos Espí, which was in an advanced stage with a formal offer already made to Levante, is now at risk. The clubs only needed to finalize personal terms, which were not expected to be a problem. However, the transfer is now uncertain due to interest from Real Madrid. The possibility of signing Espí is being considered within Real Madrid's planning as the club searches the market for a striker. Levante are referring interested parties to the player's €25 million release clause, with his contract running until June 2028.
According to sources close to the negotiation, discussions with Real Madrid are in a very early phase, though initial contact has been made with both Levante and the player's representatives. In response, Espí has paused all other foreign operations and is calmly awaiting developments. Hull City had viewed Espí as the ideal striker to strengthen their ambitious project, which aims to compete for European places in the medium term following their return to the Premier League. Last season in LaLiga, Espí scored 11 goals in 25 appearances, and he has been capped twice by Spain's U20 team. His current Transfermarkt market value is €20.00m, and he has also attracted recent interest from clubs such as Bologna, Villarreal, and Leeds United. It was previously reported that Ipswich Town was prepared to meet his release clause.
