Jose Mourinho specifically requested for Real Madrid’s express striker signing | OneFootball

Late last night, Real Madrid officially announced the signing of Carlos Espi from Levante in a flash deal, one that took under 24 hours to finalise.

The point that likely triggered the cascade of events leading to his arrival was likely Fulham’s interest in Gonzalo Garcia and the large fee they were willing to pay.

Now set to cash in on Garcia, the club saw the former Levante man as a bright young prospect with a high ceiling and completed his signing overnight.

A direct request

Indeed, as reported by Arancha Rodriguez (h/t The Madrid Zone), Real Madrid’s new manager Jose Mourinho did not just sanction the operation to sign Espi but had a massive role to play in selecting him as a target as well.

Mourinho specifically asked for Espi’s signing. (Picture credit: Real Madrid official website)

The Portuguese tactician is said to have directly requested that Real Madrid bring in the young striker. He wanted the player specifically and the club arranged for the same in no time.

The report further states that Espi is a player who caught Mourinho’s eye for his profile, and that the coach had no doubt would be a good fit for his system. After all, the 21-year-old is versatile and an effective finisher.

Set to join immediately

In addition to revealing information on Mourinho’s request to sign Espi, the Spanish journalist also brings to light that the player will begin training under Mourinho as early as Friday.

An express signing. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

He completed his medicals and finalised the details of his arrival as a new Real Madrid player just on Thursday night, but will immediately begin training as part of Jose Mourinho’s pre-season.

After all, performing with the pressure that the Real Madrid badge brings is something that requires the most staunch of efforts.

Last season, Espi scored 11 goals for Levante in La Liga and played a massive role in ensuring his side did not get relegated to the second division. With Real Madrid, he will be fighting at the other end of the table and will have a relatively smaller role, likely as a substitute.

Further, Espi will have direct competition from Endrick if the latter does not leave, meaning that every day in training brings a precious chance to win the manager’s favour.