Dani Carvajal: Real Madrid Legend Sees La Liga Return ‘Fall Apart’
Dani Carvajal will not join Getafe, after the former Real Madrid defender’s expected move to the La Liga side fell through.
Carvajal, 34, has been without a club since departing Madrid after his 451st appearance for Los Blancos in the final match of the 2025–26 season, when he was given a guard of honor by his teammates as part of an emotional goodbye.
Carvajal joined Madrid as a 10-year-old and spent almost his entire senior career with Los Blancos, winning six Champions League among a haul of 27 trophies.
Despite links to clubs in Europe and the Middle East, the right back stayed without a club over the summer following the expiry of his contract, with it unclear whether he would continue playing or retire.
Earlier this month, it looked as though he had been offered a route back into Spanish soccer by fellow Madrid-based club Getafe, who would’ve been able to register Carvajal outside of the normal transfer window as a free agent.
Getafe Move Falls Through
🚨 ÁNGEL TORRES NIEGA el FICHAJE de CARVAJAL por el GETAFE:
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) October 7, 2026
❌ "Se ha ROTO TODO".
👉 "No hay nada".
🗣️ @kikeortizzz pic.twitter.com/kAIRtStORV
On Wednesday, there were reports that Getafe had already agreed a deal to sign the Real Madrid legend. However, Getafe president Ángel Torres has since shot down the rumors.
“Everything has fallen apart, there's nothing,” he told Chiringuito TV.
The reason for the deal’s collapses remains unknown, though Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo speculate that the financial regulations could be an issue. Getafe have supposedly exceeded their Squad Cost Limit (SCL)—the spending cap on player wages, amortization, and staff based revenue agreed with La Liga—and do not have the headroom to add Carvajal’s wages to their books.
Getafe have one of the smaller budgets in La Liga, with a SCL for 2026–27 set at €56.7 million. This less than 10% of Real Madrid who have the largest SCL at over €832 million.
Getafe currently sit 11th in La Liga, with two wins from their opening seven games.
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What’s Next for Dani Carvajal?
A man synonymous with Real Madrid’s recent success, Carvajal called the club “his life” upon leaving, while he previously claimed he would not consider offers to play for others in Europe.
However, earlier this summer, he appeared more open-minded to the possibility of staying closer to home, as he told Chiringuito TV: “We’ll see what the best options are for me and my family, and based on that, I’ll make the decision.”
Asked if he’d like to stay in Spain, Carvajal responded: “I don’t know. We’ll decide that together [as a family], with calm.
“I’m open to all options and we’re working on it.”
Carvajal made 23 appearances in all competitions for Madrid in 2025–26, starting just ten times. His final two seasons at the Bernabéu were blighted by injury, after suffering from an ACL tear in 2024.
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