AC Milan could line up a January move for Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso

It took some time but Tottenham Hotspur finally succeeded in moving Giovani Lo Celso off their books on the summer transfer window’s deadline day.

Giovani Lo Celso signed for Real Betis on August 31, returning to Benito Villamarin after four-and-a-half seasons ago. The La Liga side acquired the Argentinean midfielder’s signature in a £8.4m deal excluding add-ons, alongside handing Spurs the first option to buy Johnny Cardoso in the summer of 2025.

During talks for the transfer of Lo Celso, Betis agreed to an offer for Johnny Cardoso that can be triggered for a £21m fee. However, the Lilywhites have to exercise it during a two-week window in June 2025.

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Cardoso only signed for Betis in January from Internacional and impressed over 17 La Liga appearances during the second half of last season. This prompted Spurs to quickly arrange for the USA international’s future transfer agreement, but an Italian club are looking to disrupt their plans.

According to a report from Spanish outlet Diario AS, AC Milan are looking to sign Cardoso in the January transfer window despite the player not enjoying the best of starts to the new season. They view him as a potential option to replace Ismael Bennacer, who is a long-term casualty.

AC Milan may be interested in signing the Brazil-born defensive midfielder but Spurs have put themselves in a pole position to land him as part of the deal which saw them give the green light for Lo Celso to re-join Betis. Due to the clause inserted in the agreement, the North London outfit possesses the power to block a potential January transfer if the Serie A giants come calling for his signature.

Cardoso’s future at Benito Villamarin remains up in the air. After a slow start to the 2024/25 campaign, the midfielder would want to force his way into Manuel Pellegrini’s first XI, having made just two La Liga starts thus far. Pellegrini, for his part, would want to get the best out of the 17-cap USA international to maximise his value for a potential future sale.

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For now, Spurs must keep tabs on Cardoso’s performances in Spain before deciding next year whether to trigger the option to bring him to N17.