Before his move to Fiorentina, 19-year-old Spanish defender Víctor Valdepeñas had been linked with Bayer Leverkusen, AC Milan, and Borussia Dortmund. Arsenal had also been mentioned as a potential destination, with some reports speculating they were willing to trigger his €50 million release clause. The Spain U19 international was under contract at Real Madrid until 2029 and made one senior appearance in LaLiga last season.