Dani Carvajal opens door to MLS transfer as he confirms Real Madrid will be his last club in Europe

At 32, Carvajal remains a crucial figure for Los Blancos. The defender emerged as the unlikely hero at Wembley against Borussia Dortmund in May, as he found the back of the net with a 74th-minute header to put Real Madrid in the driving seat to lift their record-extending 15th Champions League title. Carvajal added another prestigious trophy to his collection in July, this time with Spain, after La Roja beat England 2-1 in a tense European Championship final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion.

As Carvajal's current contract with Real Madrid runs until next summer, the question of where he will play next has naturally arisen. The defender is not ready to hang up his boots but has assured that he won't be joining another European club if he is forced to leave Real Madrid.

Reflecting on his career and future, Carvajal said to The Athletic: "When I decide not to be at Real Madrid, I’m not going to play in Europe and the alternatives are much reduced.”

When asked about the possibility of moving to the United States, Saudi Arabia or Qatar, he said: "It’s a possibility. Exactly, it would be one of those three options."

He added: "I have until next summer on my contract. I’m not considering retirement at the moment. I talk about it with my family: I want to enjoy every game, every training session. As the years go by, you realise you have to give more value to every moment and enjoy it. The relationship I have with the club is very transparent, very clear. If both parties agree to continue, I hope to stay here for many years.”

Carvajal joined Real's Castilla team when he was 10 and two years later he laid the first stone at Valdebebas, Real Madrid's current training and sports centre, alongside the late club legend Alfredo Di Stefano. Aside from a brief spell at Bayer Leverkusen in 2012-13, Carvajal has spent his entire career to date with Los Blancos.

Carvajal has rejoined the Spain national team ahead of their upcoming Nations League fixtures against Serbia and Switzerland. Following his international duties, Carvajal will return to Madrid to prepare for the next challenge in La Liga, with Carlo Ancelotti's side scheduled to face Real Sociedad on September 14.