Carlos Espi has officially begun life as a Real Madrid player.
The 21-year-old striker, whose arrival from Levante was confirmed on Thursday night after the club activated his €25 million release clause, completed his first training session under Jose Mourinho on Friday at Valdebebas.
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And, if everything goes according to plan, the Spanish starlet could make his unofficial first-team debut for Real Madrid against Fiorentina tomorrow, reports MARCA.
The young forward has already met his new teammates and worked alongside the first-team squad as preparations continued for the club’s next pre-season fixture.
Mourinho gets his requested signing
Espi arrives as the replacement for Gonzalo Garcia, whose move to Fulham is expected to become official in the coming hours.
The signing was requested personally by Mourinho, who has been keen to strengthen his attacking options following Gonzalo’s departure.
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The entire transfer operation was executed very swiftly, with the youngster jumping at the chance of joining Los Blancos, by rejecting a move to the Premier League which was close to being completed.
The Portuguese coach was able to work with Espi for the first time during Friday’s training session as the striker begins adapting to his new surroundings.
Espi arrives at Real Madrid after an impressive season with Levante, during which he scored 11 goals from 25 appearances. Overall, he left the Spanish club with 20 goals and two assists from 66 games.
Debut could come vs Fiorentina
Real Madrid face Fiorentina on Saturday at 18:00 in Austria, in their third pre-season friendly after victories over Alcorcon and Leganes.
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As things stand, Espi is expected to be included in the squad and could make his first appearance in the royal white shirt of Madrid as Mourinho continues assessing his options ahead of the new campaign.
Meanwhile, Gonzalo was once again absent from training as he finalises his transfer to Fulham, where he will reunite with former Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa.
With Gonzalo’s exit imminent, Espi now has an immediate opportunity to begin competing for minutes and make an early impression during Madrid’s pre-season preparations.
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