Youth coach: New Real Madrid signing Espi resembles Ibrahimovic, hopes for Mbappé partnership

Published Aug 3, 03:30 AM UTC

19-year-old forward Carlos Espi has officially joined Real Madrid, as confirmed by his youth coach Pascu Domingo in an interview with AS. Domingo revealed that Jose Mourinho personally called Espi, halting all other negotiations, including interest from Premier League clubs. Domingo, who coached Espi at Alzira's youth B team and saved his job thanks to Espi's two-goal performance, described the player's style as deceptive—resembling Borja Iglesias or even Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He noted that Espi is agile, fast, and a prolific finisher, capable of breaking down low-block defenses. Domingo expressed hope to see Espi partner Kylian Mbappé in a 4-4-2 formation, stating Real Madrid has lacked this type of forward since Joselu. He also claimed Espi would have made the World Cup squad if he had broken out earlier. The coach emphasized Espi's family support and predicted great success at both club and national team levels.