This year, we've seen a number of changes take place at Real Madrid. Not only when it comes to coaching and philosophy, but also in terms of the squad. This year can be seen as much of a transition year, with a number of the veteran players of the old generation departing the club, with new younger players arriving to take over where the veterans left off.
Players like Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez, who were mainstays at Real Madrid for more than a decade have seen their time in the Spanish capital come to an end and have joined other clubs for the next steps of their careers.
Another, somewhat less prominent veteran who departed Real Madrid this summer was centerback Jesus Vallejo. The Spaniard departed Real Madrid after his contract wasn't renewed this summer after a decade with the club.
Vallejo never really lived up to his potential at Real Madrid, and with other centerback's in the team like Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, and Eder Militao among others it was always going to be tough for him to find a place in the team. However, that didn't stop him from being loyal to Los Blancos and in a recent interview he revealed he turned down a move to Real's bitter cross-town rivals.
Former Real Madrid defender shows loyalty still exists in modern football
In a recent interview with AS, Jesus Vallejo revealed he once turned down a move to Atletico Madrid, ultimately favoring a move to Los Blancos in 2015. The Spaniard didn't think twice when Real Madrid came calling showing the kind of character Vallejo has.
Once his contract ran out this summer he had interest from a number of clubs, one being Atletico Madrid, but he ended up joining Albacete in the Spanish second division. He could've chosen to remain at a top team but he went where he knew he'd get the minutes he wanted and a team where he wouldn't run the risk of matching up against his former team that he loved.
While Vallejo was never really the best at Real Madrid, no one can question his dedication to the club. He stuck it out even when he knew he wouldn't play much, but when his name did get called, he was capable of putting in a top performance for the club he truly loved.
Vallejo was technically a Real Madrid player from 2015-2025, but only spent five seasons at Real Madrid. He had loan spells during his time at Los Blancos at Real Zaragoza, Frankfurt, Wolves, and Granada, making just 35 appearances for Real Madrid in five years.