Real Madrid news: £21m Carlos Espi emerging as Jose Mourinho’s super-sub

Carlos Espi was one of Real Madrid’s least-heralded summer signings, but the £21m striker is already emerging as an unlikely late-game weapon for Jose Mourinho after scoring two decisive goals in barely half an hour of La Liga action.

The 21-year-old arrived from Levante for around €25m (£21m) after scoring 13 goals in 27 appearances last season.

Compared with Madrid’s more glamorous additions, Espi was not necessarily expected to make an immediate impact at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Yet his first weeks under Mourinho have told a very different story.

Espi has scored twice in only a handful of league appearances, with both goals arriving late enough to directly change the result for Madrid.

His latest intervention came against Elche on Tuesday night.

Introduced with only a few minutes remaining, Espi scored in the 91st minute to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory.

The Elche winner was not an isolated moment.

Espi had already made a decisive contribution on the opening weekend against Espanyol, coming off the bench in the 80th minute before scoring late in a 2-1 victory.

That means the Spaniard has now found the net twice in approximately 25 minutes of league football.

For Mourinho, the value of such an option is obvious.

Espi is a natural centre-forward who can be introduced when Madrid need greater presence inside the penalty area and are willing to sacrifice some balance in search of a goal.

The Portuguese coach effectively admitted as much after the win over Elche.

“He plays well, he contributes to the team,” Mourinho said.

“He has an exceptional player ahead of him. Playing with the two together is not easy.

“Otherwise, we don’t have fast players on the wings and the team loses its balance.

“With the changes at the end of the game, I risked everything. We won, we could have lost, but we had to do it.”

That “exceptional player” is Kylian Mbappe, who remains the clear first-choice striker.

Espi’s role is therefore not about displacing the France international.

Instead, Mourinho appears to be finding a more specific use for him.

When Madrid need to alter the structure of a match, particularly in the final stages, Espi gives them a more direct reference point in the box.

His efficiency has made that role increasingly valuable.

Espi’s emergence also has consequences elsewhere in Mourinho’s attacking hierarchy.

Endrick finally made his first competitive appearance of the season against Elche, entering the game at the same time as Espi.

The Brazilian had gone into the campaign expecting to challenge for the role of Mbappe’s deputy after returning from a productive loan spell in France.

He had scored eight goals and provided eight assists in 21 appearances during that spell, giving him legitimate hope of earning a bigger role in Madrid.

However, the early weeks of the season have not developed in his favour.

Espi has been used more regularly and, crucially, has already turned limited minutes into decisive contributions.

Against Elche, both forwards were given the same late opportunity.

That does not necessarily mean Endrick has fallen permanently behind the Spaniard.

The Brazilian can operate from wider positions and offers different qualities, while Mourinho may still see value in using the pair in different situations.

However, the current evidence suggests that Espi has established himself as the more trusted central alternative to Mbappe.

That could become increasingly significant as the season develops.

Mbappe will eventually need rest, particularly during a campaign involving domestic and European commitments, and the identity of Madrid’s second-choice number nine could determine how those minutes are distributed.

Espi’s early numbers are still based on a very small sample.

Two goals in around 25 minutes is obviously not a rate that can realistically be sustained across an entire season.

What matters more is when those goals have arrived.

Both have directly helped Madrid turn tight league matches into victories.

For a signing who arrived with considerably less attention than many of the club’s summer recruits, that is already enough to change his status.

Espi may not be ready to challenge Mbappe for a starting place.

But Mourinho has already discovered something potentially just as useful: a £21m forward capable of deciding games when Madrid are running out of time.

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