Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso’s signing under threat for Tottenham despite £21m buy option
Tottenham Hotspur have plenty of problems to address in their squad. They tried fixing some with the January acquisitions of Antonin Kinsky, Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso, but on the bigger picture, problems still exist.
There are gaping holes in midfield that the Spurs bosses must fix. Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma are set to enter the final year of their contract. The club wants to discuss a new contract with Bentancur but are planning to cash in on Bissouma to make space for a new midfielder.
The Lilywhites have reportedly been planning to recruit a specialist No.6 before the 2025/26 season commences. This is because they view Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall as No.8s rather than defensive midfielders and want to unlock the duo’s true potential by signing a No.6.
Last summer, Spurs did a smart job by negotiating a clause with Real Betis for midfielder Johnny Cardoso when selling Giovani Lo Celso to the La Liga club. This saw them acquire a £21m option to buy the midfielder, which will become active this summer. However, the clause is only valid from June 30th to July 10th.
Recent reports suggest Tottenham are keeping close tabs on how the USA international performs until the end of the season with the aim of bringing him to N17 in the summer transfer window.
Johnny Cardoso, who signed a new deal with Real Betis until 2030 earlier this year, has impressed this season. He has racked up 22 La Liga appearances, scoring two goals and registering an assist. The 23-year-old’s performances in the middle of the park have been among the prime reasons for Betis enjoying a rich vein of form of late and climbing up to sixth in the La Liga standings.
Now, according to the local Betis newspaper La Colina de Nervion, Cardoso’s move from Betis to Tottenham is far from a forgone conclusion. ‘Everything has changed’ in recent weeks, and the American enforcer is tempted to stay at the Benito Villamarin.
The Brazil-born talent has become a key part of Manuel Pellegrini’s Champions League-chasing side. Betis are among the most in-form sides in the Spanish top flight and should feel confident of winning the UEFA Conference League. Given their form, team chemistry and key players starting to click into gear during the business end of the campaign, qualifying for the Champions League via La Liga does not seem unrealistic now.
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On the contrary, Ange’s Tottenham are lying in the bottom half of the table, and their chances of qualifying for Europe via the league appear dead and buried. Their only realistic chance of playing in Europe next season is by winning the Europa League.
If Spurs fail to do so, and Betis achieve their season’s objective, Cardoso would be more inclined towards continuing with Pellegrini’s side in Spain. Even if the Lilywhites have an agreement with Betis, our club bosses will not be able to force his move.
