Real Madrid Star's Recent Trip To Qatar Fuels Transfer Speculation
The January transfer window can be a busy time for clubs, but that doesn't stop them from thinking about the deals they can do in the summer. Real Madrid are expected to strengthen again, after four signings in 2025.
Xabi Alonso knew that an overhaul of the squad was needed, with several players coming to the end of their careers, and not many young players on the roster.
Several Los Blancos players are in the final six months of their contracts and are all over 30. Center back David Alaba is expected to leave after this season, but the future of Antonio Rudiger and Dani Carvajal is up in the air. The latter has recently fuelled his departure with a visit to Qatar.
Dani Carvajal not worried about Real Madrid future
The club captain, Dani Carvajal, has a contract at Real Madrid until June 2026. His future is uncertain, and a recent visit to Qatar has raised questions. The Qatari league has been a destination for players coming to the end of their careers, with a nice payday usually on offer.
The Spanish right-back turns 34 on January 11, and had reportedly revealed that his trip to Qatar was to see a friend and former teammate, Joselu. According to Diario AS, Carvajal is said to be calm about his future and is fully concentrated on this season.
Carvajal has just returned to training after an injury had sidelined him for the past two months. Despite limited game time, he still has aspirations of making the Spain squad for the upcoming World Cup in North America.
The experienced defender has played 13 seasons at Madrid, and would love to see out his career at the club. However, the Los Blancos hierarchy only offers one-year contract extensions for players over 30. They are also not sure they should do that, given Carvajal's injury problems over the past two seasons. The captain would need to prove his fitness for the remainder of the season.
Given his loyalty to the club, that might help him when it comes to a new deal. He could also be willing to take a pay cut to stay. After returning from injury earlier in the season, he performed relatively well, despite losing some of his speed.
Alonso will have to make a big decision regarding his former teammate, and it could be difficult. As Real Madrid looks to the future, could it be the final season for Carvajal at Madrid?
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Jordan Merritt is a staff writer for Real Madrid On SI. Before joining On SI, he wrote at Fansided, covering Ole Miss football, basketball, and baseball. He has also written for YardBarker, Heavy Sports, and the official EFL site. Merritt is a big sports fan, spending most of his weekends watching Soccer, the NFL, the NBA, college football/basketball, and others. Before starting his career as a freelance writer, Merritt was an Engineer for over 10 years. He lives in West Yorkshire, England, and is keenly interested in sports trading cards.
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