Hull City owner denies Real Madrid interest in Carlos Espi after £21m transfer
Hull City owner Acun Ilicali denied reports that the club ever pursued Real Madrid forward Carlos Espi, stating on X (Twitter) that 'Guys, your club is big enough without making fake stories about Hull City. We never made any offer, we wish him the best in Real Madrid.' Espi completed a permanent transfer to Real Madrid on July 30, 2026 for a fee exceeding £21 million, reportedly his release clause from Levante, where he scored 13 goals in 1,438 minutes over 27 matches and helped win the 2024‑25 La Liga 2 title. Hull City, freshly promoted to the Premier League after winning the EFL Championship play‑off final in May, had been linked with the striker but instead secured four permanent signings: goalkeeper Jack Butland, midfielder Hidemasa Morita, left‑back Matt Targett and defensive midfielder Oscar Zambrano. With Espi now set to compete for playing time alongside stars like Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Endrick at Real Madrid, the clarification clears up the transfer narrative and shows Hull’s actual recruitment focus. Given Hull's current signings, will they need another striker to compete in the Premier League, or is their current squad sufficient?