According to a report by Madrid Universal on Saturday, November 7, 2026, Real Madrid's summer signing Carlos Espi was presented with two opportunities to join Valencia during his early football career, but the Mestalla-based club rejected both chances before he eventually secured a move to the Spanish giants.

Reports indicate that the young striker was offered to Valencia on two different occasions while developing his career, but the club decided against bringing him into their youth setup.

The revelation has emerged ahead of Real Madrid's LaLiga meeting with Valencia, with Espi potentially in contention to feature at the Mestalla if the manager decides to rotate his squad.

Real Madrid recently returned from Greece after recording a victory over AEK Athens in the UEFA Champions League. With another demanding fixture approaching, the manager could make several changes to his starting lineup to give some of his regular players an opportunity to recover.

Espi is among those who could benefit from the possible rotation, potentially allowing him to face the club that previously had two opportunities to sign him but failed to complete a deal.

Valencia's first chance to recruit the forward came in 2022, when he was playing for UD Alzira after arriving from UE Tavernes.

Espi quickly attracted attention through his impressive goalscoring displays, with Alzira recognising his potential to develop into an important player.

At the time, Alzira and Valencia organised a friendly match involving their youth teams, giving the LaLiga club an opportunity to watch several promising youngsters. Espi featured in the encounter, but his performance reportedly failed to convince Valencia to make a move for him.

As a result, the club allowed the opportunity to sign the youngster to pass without taking further action.

However, Valencia later had another chance to secure his services after Espi continued to impress with his performances for Alzira.

Levante subsequently entered the picture and began discussions with Alzira's sporting director, Rafa Asensio, over a possible transfer. During the negotiations, Alzira requested that the agreement include a clause guaranteeing the club 10 per cent of any future transfer fee involving the striker.

Levante initially refused to accept the condition, leaving the negotiations uncertain. Valencia then renewed their interest, giving them another opportunity to bring Espi into their academy.

The youngster even travelled to Paterna as the club considered the possibility of completing the transfer. However, Valencia once again decided against signing him, believing he did not fit their plans, and the move failed to materialise.

Levante eventually returned to the negotiating table and agreed to Alzira's demand for a 10 per cent share of any future transfer fee.

That decision later proved financially rewarding for Alzira when Espi secured his move to Real Madrid during the summer transfer window. The agreement reportedly earned the club approximately €2.5 million from the transfer, thanks to the future-sale clause included in the original deal.

For Valencia, however, the situation represents a significant missed opportunity, considering that they had two chances to sign a player who has since attracted the attention of one of Europe's biggest clubs.

Espi's development at Alzira and Levante before eventually joining Real Madrid demonstrates how the careers of young footballers can take unexpected turns.

The striker now has the opportunity to establish himself at the Santiago Bernabéu, although the intense competition for places at Real Madrid means he will have to make the most of every chance he receives.

His possible involvement in the upcoming encounter against Valencia makes the fixture even more interesting, given the club's previous decisions to turn down the opportunity to sign him.