Tottenham have a special clause to sign Johnny Cardoso from Real Betis in June 2025
Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed a solid summer transfer window where they signed some exciting talents with high potential, and as Ange Postecoglou integrates the new recruits into his squad, the chiefs at Hotspur Way have started planning for the transfer windows in 2025.
The Lilywhites decided to offload the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Giovani Lo Celso in the past summer transfer window. Daniel Levy failed to bring in appropriate replacements for the duo, and the fact that Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray are still very young means the club will have to take a dip in the mark again to bring in a midfielder with top-flight experience.
By finally managing to offload Lo Celso to Real Betis, Tottenham agreed an option with the La Liga club to sign Johnny Cardoso for a fee of around €25 million. The USA international has been subject to consistent links with a move away from Real Betis, with multiple clubs vying for his signatures.
Atletico Madrid are looking to up their ante to land the 23-year-old, having closely followed his progress since he delivered a strong performance against Diego Simeone’s side. Serie A giants AC Milan have also shown concrete interest in the player.
Due to a clause inserted in the agreement with Betis, Spurs possesses the power to block a potential January transfer exit for Johnny Cardoso. They hold the first option for the midfielder but have to exercise it during a two-week window in June 2025. And now it looks like Betis have started putting plans in place to replace the defensive midfielder.
According to a report from Spanish outlet Fichaerio, Betis are considering signing RCD Mallorca’s Samu Costa as a replacement for the Tottenham-bound Cardoso. The La Liga side will be left with a void to fill if Cardoso leaves next year and they have made Costa the main candidate to do that.
Big Ange needs quality and depth in the midfield ranks, and the Betis star could prove to be an exciting addition to his roster. Given that he will be available at around €25 million thanks to Levy inserting a clause in the contract while moving on Lo Celso, the north Londoners will not have to break the bank to secure his signature.
-> Tight wage structure hindered Tottenham from signing England international who Postecoglou wanted
The La Liga side identifying a player to replace Cardoso perhaps suggests they have got word from the Hotspur Way chiefs that they would be willing to trigger his clause in June 2025.