Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal set for summer exit after club refuses to renew contract

Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal is set to leave the club at the end of the season after the decision was made not to renew his contract.

The 34-year-old defender is expected to depart as a free agent, ending a remarkable association with Madrid that has spanned more than two decades.

His future had become increasingly uncertain throughout the campaign following persistent injury problems and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s arrival from Liverpool last summer.

Alexander-Arnold has since established himself as Madrid’s preferred right-back, further limiting Carvajal’s role in the squad.

The Spain international has struggled physically since suffering a devastating knee injury in October 2024.

Carvajal tore his anterior cruciate ligament, lateral collateral ligament and posterolateral corner in his right knee, an injury that kept him sidelined for nine months.

Although he returned later in the season, further setbacks and additional surgery restricted his involvement.

He has completed a full 90 minutes only twice since returning from arthroscopy surgery in December.

Carvajal made just 32 appearances across all competitions during the last two seasons and started only eight league matches this term.

Despite the difficult ending, his legacy at Madrid remains enormous.

Carvajal joined Madrid’s academy as a 10-year-old in 2002 before briefly leaving for Bayer Leverkusen during the 2012-13 season.

He returned one year later and became one of the defining players of one of the most successful eras in the club’s history.

Across 448 first-team appearances, Carvajal won 26 trophies. His tally includes four La Liga titles and six Champions League crowns.

He also scored in Madrid’s Champions League final victory over Borussia Dortmund in 2024.

Carvajal helped Spain win the 2024 European Championship and established himself as one of the leading right-backs of his generation.

However, his place for both club and country has diminished over the past year due to fitness issues.

Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa recently suggested he would not select Carvajal to strengthen his hopes of making Spain’s World Cup squad next summer.

Carvajal is now expected to consider his next move away from Madrid, although a switch to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere in the Middle East could be complicated by the current political situation there.