Barcelona Chose Hamza Over Carlos Espí — Now Real Madrid Are Reaping the Reward

Barcelona had the opportunity to sign Carlos Espí before Real Madrid stepped in, but the Catalan club reportedly made a calculated decision to walk away from the deal.

The reason was not a lack of appreciation for the young striker's ability.

Instead, Barcelona reportedly concluded that spending €25 million on a forward who was not expected to become a regular starter under Hansi Flick was difficult to justify.

Their alternative was already inside the club.

His name is Hamza Abdelkarim.

Why Barcelona Said No to Espí

According to reporting from Cadena SER's Sique Rodríguez, Espí was offered to Barcelona by his representatives during the summer.

The Catalan club considered him a good player but ultimately rejected the operation because they did not want to pay his €25m release clause for someone who would not be a first-choice striker.

That decision became even more significant when Real Madrid later activated the same clause to bring Espí to the Bernabéu from Levante.

The 21-year-old has since turned into an unexpected early-season weapon for José Mourinho.

Hamza Was Barcelona's Alternative

The connection with Hamza Abdelkarim is central to understanding Barcelona's decision.

The Egyptian striker had already joined Barcelona from Al Ahly for around €1.5m, and the club reportedly believed he could provide the alternative striker profile they needed.

Barcelona subsequently renewed Hamza's contract until 2030, reinforcing the idea that the teenager is viewed as part of the club's longer-term plans.

In other words, Barça were not simply leaving a striker position empty.

They were making a much cheaper bet on a player they already owned.

The Huge Difference Between the Two Bets

The financial contrast is striking.

Barcelona could have spent €25m on Espí, but instead continued with Hamza after an investment of roughly €1.5m.

That does not mean Barcelona believed Hamza was already a better player than Espí.

The reported thinking was about squad roles, cost and potential.

Espí was viewed as a player who would not immediately become a starter, while Hamza represented a much cheaper developmental option with the possibility of growing into a significant first-team player.

It was therefore a calculated risk rather than a simple transfer rejection.

Espí Has Made Madrid's Decision Look Very Interesting

Real Madrid, meanwhile, took the opposite approach.

After losing the opportunity to wait and see, Madrid paid the €25m clause and brought Espí to the Spanish capital.

The striker has responded almost immediately.

He scored a late winner against Espanyol on his Real Madrid debut and then came off the bench to score another stoppage-time winner against Elche.

Those two goals have already earned Madrid six points, despite Espí having played only a small amount of league football.

His role has therefore been completely different from the one Barcelona reportedly anticipated.

Rather than needing to be a regular starter, Espí has become an impact substitute capable of changing matches late on.

Barcelona's Gamble Is Now Under the Microscope

This is where the story becomes particularly interesting for Barcelona.

The club's decision cannot fairly be judged after only a handful of matches.

Hamza is still just 18 years old, while Espí is only 21 and has only recently moved into the Real Madrid environment.

Barcelona have also just extended Hamza's contract to 2030, showing that their faith in the Egyptian youngster remains strong.

But Espí's spectacular start has inevitably brought the decision back into focus.

Every late goal from the young Madrid striker will increase the attention on the alternative Barcelona chose.

Two Young Strikers, Two Very Different Paths

For now, the two clubs have effectively taken different routes.

Real Madrid spent €25m on Espí and are already benefiting from his impact as a substitute.

Barcelona chose to trust a much cheaper internal solution in Hamza, believing his development could eventually provide the value they wanted without the €25m commitment.

Neither strategy has reached its conclusion.

But with Espí already rescuing Madrid in dramatic fashion, the pressure will increasingly fall on Hamza to show why Barcelona believed he was worth betting on instead.