Real Madrid Captain’s Summer Exit Viewed as Inevitable Inside Valdebebas

Madrid—The clock appears to be ticking on Dani Carvajal’s storied Real Madrid career. According to a report in MARCA, club officials at Valdebebas are already “taking for granted” that the 34-year-old captain will leave when his contract expires at season’s end, even though no formal negotiations over an extension have taken place.

Carvajal, who returned recently from a two-month knee lay-off that required arthroscopic surgery, has seen his playing time evaporate under coach Alvaro Arbeloa. Since receiving medical clearance—including fresh tests last week at a London specialist—the veteran right-back has watched Federico Valverde, David Jimenez and January arrival Trent Alexander-Arnold preferred in his position.

The shift in stance marks a stark contrast to 2024, when Madrid promptly handed Carvajal a one-year extension after he suffered an ACL injury. This summer, with fitness concerns lingering and competition intensifying, the club has opted for a wait-and-see approach that now looks likely to end in farewell.

Inside the training complex, the expectation is that Carvajal—whose academy-graduate career has yielded five Champions League titles and countless Clásico memories—will bring the curtain down on a glittering era in Madrid white.