Dani Carvajal had to leave Real Madrid before Madrid bought him back
After eight years in Real Madrid's academy, Dani Carvajal had not played a single first-team game, so in 2012 he joined Bayer Leverkusen for 5 million euros. Madrid kept a buy-back clause. One strong Bundesliga season later, they paid roughly 6.5 million to bring him home, and he stayed thirteen years.
Born in Leganés on the edge of Madrid in 1992, he joined the club's youth system at ten and captained the reserve side, Castilla, in his first senior season. The Leverkusen contract was written with rising fees for his return: about 6.5 million after one year, 7 million after two, 8.5 million after three. His German season went well enough that fans voted him among the league's three best right-backs, behind Philipp Lahm and Atsuto Uchida, and Madrid triggered the cheapest option in June 2013.
What followed was a haul of 27 major trophies, including four league titles and six European Cups, a tally matched only by Paco Gento, Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos and Nacho. He played 120 minutes in the 2014 final against Atlético, and in the 2024 final against Borussia Dortmund he headed Madrid's opening goal in a 2–0 win. His career was also marked by setbacks: a heart condition in 2017, injuries that forced him off in two finals, and in October 2024 a torn cruciate ligament, collateral ligament and more in his right knee.
For Spain he won youth European titles at under-19 and under-21 level, then settled the 2023 Nations League final shoot-out against Croatia with a chipped Panenka penalty. At Euro 2024 he scored against Croatia aged 32 years and 156 days, the oldest man to score for Spain at a European Championship, and after a red card in the quarter-final he returned for the win over England in the final.
He became Madrid captain when Modrić left, then announced in May 2026 that he would depart after more than 400 matches. Injuries also cost him a place at the 2026 World Cup, and he is now a free agent.
Source: Dani Carvajal
