Real Madrid made a slightly more low-key signing; Dani Carvajal the same day Barcelona introduced Superstar Neymar to the press.
Daniel Carvajal is a 21 year old defender sold by Real Madrid last summer to Bayer Leverkusen for €5 million.
Following an impressive first season in Germany, Real Madrid exercised their buy-back clause, believed to be around €6.5 million.
The Madrid graduate will hope his second attempt to break into the first XI at the Bernabeu will be more successful.
The Man Carvajal
Carvajal was born in Leganés, a suburb of Madrid. He joined Real Madrid’s youth system as a ten-year-old, and continued climbing through the ranks until reaching Real Madrid Castilla in 2010.
In his first season as a senior Carvajal was immediately cast in the reserve team’s starting XI, also being the team’s captain.
In the following campaign he fared even better (38 games and two goals, playoffs included), as the B’s returned to Segunda División after a five-year absence.
On 11 July 2012, after failing to appear once in official matches with Real’s first team, Carvajal signed a five-year contract with Germany’s Bayer 04 Leverkusen, for a transfer fee of €5 million.
The Spaniards added on a buy-back clause in the region of €6.5 million if they wanted to re-sign the player after one season, €7 million after two seasons and approximately €8.5 million after three.
Carvajal made his Bundesliga debut on 1 September 2012 in a 2–0 home win against SC Freiburg, being subsequently named to the Team of the Week. He scored his first goal for his new club on 25 November, netting the second in an eventual 2–1 success at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
Carvajal was selected as one of the three best right-backs at the end of his first and only season, behind Phillip Lahm and Atsuto Uchida. He received 16% of the total vote from the fans.
The new move has been confirmed by Bayer’s director of football Rudi Völler, who stated “Real Madrid noticed the outstanding performances by Dani this season, and it was only a matter of time before they exercised their buy-back option”.