The Real Betis midfielder has been linked with a move, and will have plenty of suitors should he choose to depart La Liga club
Johnny Cardoso is in an interesting spot. The defensive midfielder, 23, possesses all of the qualities of a modern No. 6. He can pass, run, tackle and dictate tempo from deep areas. At the right club, he could be an impact player, and further force his way into the U.S. men's national team starting conversation – especially with Mauricio Pochettino making it clear that spots are up for grabs all over the pitch.
Therein lies the problem. Cardoso's minutes at Betis have increased of late – and he is now a regular for the Spanish side. But there remains a prevailing sense that he could aim higher, and establish himself as a top tier defensive midfielder at a bigger club. The conditions just have to be right. And so we arrive at the opportunity of January. The midfielder has been linked with a move away from Spain for the last few months, with speculation of a possible Tottenham transfer floated.
But they're not the only option. Cardoso has a valuable skillset that any number of clubs might covet. GOAL looks at the top landing spots for the emerging USMNT midfielder.
Getty ImagesTottenham
Well, this one we know. It was reported in September that as part of the deal that sent Gio Lo Celso to Real Betis that the London club had negotiated a purchase-clause for Cardoso, set at $33M. There are some technicalities here. The clause only applies for the first two weeks of the summer window; after that the price is whatever Betis deem an agreeable offer. Spurs also don't to activate it.
A few months ago, that might have not been a problem. But the London club face a bit of an uncertain window. Injuries have hit Ange Postecoglu's side hard this season, with center midfielders forced to play at center back. Right now, they don't have a reliable fit No. 6 in their ranks.
Cardoso might be the solution to that problem. He has the body type for the Premier League, and is certainly a more refined player than youngster Lucas Bergvall. At the very least, he might be an agreeable stop-gap – with solid long-term potential.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportArsenal
This is all contingent on a lot of things going right – and a few going wrong. Arsenal spent big last summer, reinforcing at left back and central midfield. At full strength, their best three – Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard – can match any trio the English top flight has to offer. But there are a few issues here.
The first is that those three have rarely seen the pitch together. Injuries have hit Merino and Odegaard hard this season. The second is the harsh reality of multiple competitions mean that Arsenal badly need depth. There are answers here in Thomas Partey and Joginho. But they have tried to part ways with Partey before, while Jorginho is only on a short term deal.
So, if Partey goes, enter Cardoso. Perhaps it is not in his interest to be a reliable backup for a Premier League title-contending team – he may want more minutes elsewhere. But if the pieces fall into place, Arsenal certainly might have the need for a reliable center mid who could offer some long term upside.
Getty Images SportAston Villa
If Spurs don't exercise their option, and the Premier League is his goal, then this whole thing reeks of an Unai Emery signing. Villa have an interesting group of players in midfield, but could really use a tempo setting player to bring it all together. Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara are both skilled footballers in their own right, but they don't have the same "pausa" as Cardoso, who could be an absolute dream in the middle orchestrating on the counter.
There are some similarities between Cardoso and Dani Parejo, who Emery developed into a fine playmaker at Villarreal. Cardoso isn't yet on that level, but could be under the right manager. Who better than the man who has done it all before to show him the ropes?
Getty Images SportAtletico Madrid
And now for the opposite option. In Cardoso, Emery might see a playmaking midfielder with considerable potential, who could become an elite No. 6 at the base of a finely-balanced midfield. Get this right, and Cardoso could be a Spanish midfielder in the wrong body.
Or, there's the other option. The evil one, that throws notions of control, finesse and elegance to the wind. Instead, Cardoso could be tailormade for Atletico Madrid. This one would be admittedly less fun from a footballing perspective, but perhaps just as impactful.
The first thing that needs acknowledging with this fit is that Cardoso is big at 6-1. The second is that he's surprisingly athletic. And the third is that Atleti manager Diego Simeone loves big, athletic midfielders who can also move the ball. See this all coming together?
This would mean developing a different kind of player entirely. Forget aesthetics, Atleti are about disclipline and dark arts. Simeone wants work-rate machines, warriors at the heart of the pitch. And for all of the talk about his technical quality, Cardoso does have some bite to him. Throw in the fact that Koke, Atleti's long-time center midfielder is into his 30s, and Cardoso could be an intriguing fit alongside Conor Gallagher and Rodrigo De Paul.
