Lazio & Hull City Miss Out on LaLiga Star as Real Madrid Announce Surprise Signing | OneFootball

Lazio’s hopes of signing Spanish striker Carlos Espi from Levante have faded, with Real Madrid pulling off the coup.

The Background

In recent weeks, the Biancocelesti were said to be tracking the 21-year-old centre-forward who played an instrumental role in Levante’s survival last season. The young bomber netted 11 goals in 26 appearances, including decisive strikes towards the end of the campaign.

Lazio Target Carlos Espi Joins Real Madrid

In addition to Lazio, the Spaniard had also attracted interest from the Premier League, with Hull City also on this trail. But on Thursday evening, Espi completed an out-of-the-blue transfer to Real Madrid, who identified him as the right replacement for Fulham-bound Gonzalo Garcia. The 15-time European champions confirmed the move with the following statement (via ESPN).

Lazio Struggling to Land Their Targets

Unfortunately for Lazio fans, missing out on transfer targets has become the norm rather than the exception. This summer, the management failed to finalize a deal with Bayern Munich for Jonathan Asp Jensen, who was keen to join the Italian capital side, but eventually had to accept a move to Deportivo La Coruña.

The Aquile also appear set to fall short in their attempts to land young Spanish defender Sergi Dominguez, as they haven’t been able to find an accord with Dinamo Zagreb.

Lazio’s Attacking Options

Regarding their attacking plans, Lazio still deem AC Milan wantaway Santiago Gimenez as their ideal target, with Gennaro Gattuso keen to have the Mexican at his disposal. They also continue to keep tabs on Fiorentina’s Roberto Piccoli and Sassuolo’s Andrea Pinamonti. Meanwhile, Benfica’s Franjo Ivanovic is the latest name to land on the shortlist, but signing the young Croatian will be a tall order.