Dani Carvajal signs with Getafe until 30 June 2027 after months without a club
Getafe announced on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, that the 34-year-old former Real Madrid right back has signed until 30 June 2027. A personal guarantee from club president Ángel Torres helped clear the LaLiga salary limit that had held up the deal.
The signing
Getafe CF announced on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, that Dani Carvajal has signed a contract running until 30 June 2027. The 34-year-old Spanish right back is a free agent, since his contract with Real Madrid expired in June and his last match for the club was on 23 May. Reports differ on his caps for Spain, with 51 and 52 both cited. Across 23 seasons at Real Madrid, 13 of them in the first team, Carvajal won 27 titles, including six Champions Leagues. In its statement the club said he would bring experience and leadership, and it welcomed him in these words:
From Getafe CF we want to welcome Dani Carvajal and wish him many successes in this new stage.
The salary-cap obstacle
The signing was expected for days but stalled over money. LaLiga requires each club to keep squad spending below a limit tied to its income, and Getafe was close to its own limit. A player's computed salary depends not only on what he will earn but also on what he earned under his previous contract, according to ABC. A week before the announcement, Torres said "Se ha roto todo, no hay nada" (everything is broken, there is nothing). Three days later he said LaLiga's economic control had been overcome and that the decision rested with the player. To unlock the move, Torres presented a guarantee backed by his personal assets, which La Razón says was lodged with the body chaired by Javier Tebas.
- Last match for Real Madrid
- Contract with Real Madrid expires
- La Razón reports agreement reached, pending paperwork, citing MARCA
- Getafe announces signing until 30 June 2027
- Getafe play Universitatea Craiova in the Conference League
Injuries and exit from Real Madrid
Carvajal's final years at Real Madrid were marked by injuries to his right knee. One report puts a serious rupture in October 2024, which kept him out for about nine months. Physical problems were among the reasons Real Madrid did not offer him a new contract. Carvajal came through the Real Madrid academy, and the report says he prioritised staying in top-level European football and living near his family in the Community of Madrid. Getafe met both conditions, and the club can offer him minutes at 34.
What comes next
Getafe play Universitatea Craiova in the Conference League in Romania on Thursday, 15 October, and La Razón reports the club intends to present Carvajal after that match. ABC reports he could begin training with the squad on Tuesday, 13 October. Getafe are also pursuing Dani Parejo, a 37-year-old midfielder from Coslada who left Villarreal at the end of last season, according to MARCA as cited by La Razón. Parejo played for Getafe between 2009 and 2011 before going on to Valencia and Villarreal. Because he is a free agent, Getafe could negotiate his contract directly without paying a transfer fee.
