Carlos Espi turned down Premier League move to join Real Madrid

Real Madrid striker Carlos Espi says he rejected opportunities to move to the Premier League because he could not refuse the chance to join the Spanish giants.

The 21-year-old attracted attention in England after a breakthrough 2025/26 season with Levante in La Liga. Real Madrid subsequently signed him during the summer transfer window for a reported £21m.

Leeds United, Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Brighton and Hove Albion and Everton were all linked with the forward before his move to Spain.

Espi has made 11 appearances for Real Madrid since arriving at the club, scoring three goals. He said the opportunity to play for the club outweighed the possibility of moving to England.

“There were options to go to the Premier League, but when Real Madrid comes along, I couldn’t turn it down,” Espi told El Larguero on Cadena SER.

The striker said his rapid rise had surprised both him and his family, while describing every appearance for Real Madrid as a valuable experience.

“Everything that has happened to me is incredible. Nobody really expected it, including my entire family,” he said.

“To me, every minute I spend on the pitch for Real Madrid is golden. Every opportunity to play is a golden opportunity. Of course I’d like to play more, every player does, but I just focus on taking full advantage of every opportunity the coach gives me to play.”

Espi is due to join up with Spain’s Under-21 squad for international friendlies against Japan and Albania this month.

He also paid tribute to Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, saying the Portuguese coach had played an important role in his development by demanding high standards and offering direct feedback.

“Jose Mourinho is incredible. He’s very close to us, very demanding, and that’s a very good thing,” Espi added.

“It’s great to have him so close to me, telling me what I did well and what I did badly, I’m very happy with Jose.”