Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has dismissed reports linking the club with a move for new Real Madrid striker Carlos Espi, accusing the Spanish giants of promoting a false transfer narrative.
The Tigers, who secured promotion to the Premier League through the Championship play-offs, had been reported as potential suitors for the former Levante forward before he completed a permanent switch to Real Madrid on Thursday for a fee believed to be above £21 million.
Reacting to claims on social media that Espi had been close to joining Hull City, Ilicali insisted the club never submitted an offer for the 21-year-old.
“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 arrives in Madrid after an impressive campaign with Levante, scoring 13 goals in 27 appearances to help the club win the 2024/25 La Liga 2 title. With Gonzalo Garcia reportedly close to joining Fulham, the young striker is expected to compete for opportunities alongside Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Endrick.
Hull City, meanwhile, have strengthened their squad with the permanent signings of Jack Butland, Hidemasa Morita, Matt Targett and Oscar Zambrano ahead of their Premier League return.
