Hull City Owner Slams Real Madrid Over Espi Transfer

Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has publicly criticized Real Madrid for allegedly fabricating false narratives regarding Hull City's interest in acquiring Carlos Espi. The Tigers, who won the EFL Championship play-off final in May, are looking to strengthen their squad for the Premier League.

Reports suggested Hull City was interested in signing Espi, a former Levante player. However, Espi completed a permanent transfer to Real Madrid on July 30 for a fee exceeding £21 million, which was reportedly his release clause.

Ilicali clarified that Hull City never intended to pursue Espi, responding to claims made by a Real Madrid aggregator account on X. He stated, “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 had a breakout season with Levante, scoring 13 goals in 27 matches, and will now compete for a place at Real Madrid alongside players like Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.