Real Madrid’s pursuit of Rodri in the summer of 2026 did not stop at the president’s office. Dani Carvajal, then still the club’s captain, was asked to work on the Spain midfielder himself, and he confirmed as much publicly on Wednesday.
Speaking on Cadena SER’s El Larguero, the 34-year-old right-back said he had engaged Rodri directly during the chase.
“I spoke to him and tried to convince him. I imagine there were others pushing him from the other side,” Carvajal told the Spanish radio programme, as Madrid Universal reported.
The other side won. Rodri turned down Real Madrid’s offer last August and signed for Barcelona, with manager Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco persuading him of their project after Madrid had believed the deal was close following the Club World Cup.
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Rodri had leaned towards the Bernabéu earlier in the year before Barcelona’s intervention swung him the other way. Madrid’s response was to escalate from the boardroom to the dressing room, pulling the captain into the sales pitch alongside the president and the chief executive.
From the Bernabéu to Getafe on a free
Carvajal himself is no longer in white. The right-back signed for Getafe as a free agent on 13 October, four months after his Real Madrid contract expired, on a deal that runs until 30 June 2027.
He also used the Cadena SER interview to retrace a two-year absence caused by a serious injury sustained at the Bernabéu, which ruled him out of the 2026 World Cup. He said he had come close to joining Al Gharafa in Qatar before La Liga pulled him back.
A message for Vinícius from across town
Carvajal used the same airtime to back Vinícius Júnior, who missed Sunday’s Clásico through suspension. The Brazilian is working through a four-match ban handed down after his red card against Villarreal for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair, beIN Sports reported.
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He watched Real Madrid win 2-1 at Camp Nou without him, with Kylian Mbappé’s double in the 41st and 87th minutes settling the game either side of Raphinha’s equaliser.
Vinícius celebrated anyway, reacting to the club’s Mbappé post with four crying-laughing emojis. That came days after an Instagram message following a Champions League win over RB Leipzig: “Living in the moment. Everything passes,” as Yahoo Sports noted.
Carvajal, who spent years alongside him in the dressing room, backed his former team-mate to find his level again, pointing to the contract renewal Vinícius signed with Real Madrid as a reason for calm.
“I know Vinicius will return to his best because he has overcome tougher situations.”
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Vinícius remains banned for Real Madrid’s domestic fixtures while he serves out the rest of his suspension; the forward is still available for European nights.
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