According to a report by Madrid Universal on Saturday, November 7, 2026, Real Madrid summer signing Carlos Espi was offered to Valencia on two separate occasions during his youth career, but the Spanish club turned down both opportunities before he eventually joined the Santiago Bernabéu side.

The young striker reportedly had two chances to join Valencia while developing his career, but the Mestalla-based club decided against securing his services on both occasions.

The revelation comes ahead of Real Madrid's La Liga meeting with Valencia, with Espi potentially in contention to feature at the Mestalla as the manager considers rotating his squad.

Madrid recently returned from Greece after defeating 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 regular players time to rest.

Espi is among those who could benefit from the possible changes, potentially giving him the chance to play against the club that previously had two opportunities to sign him.

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

Espi quickly attracted attention with his impressive goalscoring performances, while Alzira believed the youngster had the potential to develop into an important player.

During that period, Alzira and Valencia organised a friendly match involving their youth teams, giving the Mestalla club an opportunity to assess several promising young players.

Espi featured in the encounter, but his performance reportedly failed to convince Valencia to pursue his signing. The club subsequently missed its first opportunity to bring him into its youth setup.

However, Valencia later had another chance to recruit the striker after he continued to impress with his goalscoring displays at Alzira.

Levante also became interested in signing him, leading to negotiations with Alzira sporting director Rafa Asensio.

Alzira wanted an agreement that would guarantee the club 10 per cent of any future transfer fee involving Espi. Levante initially rejected the condition, leaving the negotiations uncertain.

Valencia then returned to the race for the youngster, presenting the club with another opportunity to secure his services. Espi even travelled to Paterna as Valencia considered completing the move.

However, the club once again decided that the forward did not fit its plans and failed to reach an agreement to sign him.

Levante eventually resumed negotiations and accepted Alzira's demand for a 10 per cent share of any future transfer fee.

That decision later proved financially rewarding for Alzira when Espi completed his move to Real Madrid during the summer transfer window.

The agreement reportedly earned Alzira approximately €2.5 million from the transfer, rewarding the club for securing the future-sale clause while the striker was still developing his career.

For Valencia, the situation represents a missed opportunity, as the club had two chances to sign a player who has since attracted the attention of Real Madrid.

Espi's journey from Alzira to Levante before eventually joining the Spanish giants highlights how the careers of young footballers can develop in unexpected ways.

The forward now has an opportunity to establish himself at one of Europe's biggest clubs, although competition for places at Real Madrid means he will need to take advantage of every opportunity he receives.

The upcoming meeting with Valencia could therefore carry additional significance for Espi as he potentially faces the club that twice passed up the chance to sign him.