The Player Set To Replace Dani Carvajal At Real Madrid If He Leaves This Summer
It's a time of change for Real Madrid, and during the summer, there will be lots of outgoings and incomings in the transfer window. Who will be the head coach is another story, but the squad will change drastically, whoever is in charge.
There are several names who are out of contract, and could leave on a free transfer. David Alaba looks extremely likely to be heading out the door. Antonio Rudiger and Dani Carvajal remain question marks.
The latter has been in the news recently, with him seeing limited gametime in 2026, despite being available for Alvaro Arbeloa. He is yet to start a game and has appeared in just two. If the club captain does leave, a replacement is already in line for the 2026-27 season.
David Jiménez enters in Real Madrid's plans
According to MARCA, the solution if Dani Carvajal leaves is closer to home. Castilla right-back David Jiménez is seen as a possible replacement for the club captain for the 2026-27 season.
The 21-year-old made his full senior debut in December under Xabi Alonso, playing in the Copa del Rey against CF Talavera. This past weekend, he made his full La Liga debut, starting against Valencia. In the 76 minutes he played, he impressed, replaced by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Now, it has been said that he is a potential replacement if Carvajal leaves the club this summer. The 34-year-old is in the final five months of his contract, and with all the recent injuries, the club may not offer an extension.
Real Madrid have been linked with several names, including young Sevilla player José Ángel Carmona. If Jiménez can develop, it saves Los Blancos from putting their hands in their pocket, which in turn saves money to strengthen other areas.
Carvajal has been at the club for over 20 years, starting in the academy. A previous rule has been that the hierarchy does not offer multi-year contracts to players over the age of 30. They could negotiate a one-year deal, but would the Spaniard want security, something he could get from other teams?
As of now, it feels like Trent Alexander-Arnold will be the first choice going forward, and possibly Jiménez as the backup. It would be a sad end for Carvajal, who, as captain, has lifted several trophies in front of the fans.
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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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