Real Madrid have moved fast to solve their number nine problem. With Gonzalo García on his way to Fulham, the club triggered Carlos Espí's €25 million release clause at Levante within hours, tying the 21-year-old to the Bernabéu until June 2031.
Here's what Real Madrid fans need to know about their new forward.
Carlos Espí Escrihuela was born on July 24, 2005, in Tavernes de la Valldigna, a small town on the Valencian coast. He joined Levante's academy in 2022 from local side UD Alzira and made his first-team debut in February 2024, aged 18, in a Segunda División fixture against Racing de Ferrol.
He was part of the group that helped drag Levante back into La Liga, contributing six goals in 36 appearances during the promotion campaign, but it was this past season, in the top flight, that he made his name with 11 goals in 13 starts, a Player of the Month award in March, and the league's Best Under-23 Player prize. He is also a Spain youth international, capped at both U-19 and U-20 level.
At 6ft4in tall, he is a physical presence up top, a target man profile who fits the archetype of a modern number nine as much as a poacher.

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