Tottenham are all set to sign Johnny Cardoso from Real Betis.
The London club secured a first refusal on the player when they sold Giovani Lo Celso to the La Liga club. They have a priority option to sign the player for a fee of around £21 million and a report from Football Insider claims that they will get a deal for the 23-year-old across the line.
Aston Villa are reportedly on the United States international, and it will be interesting to see if Tottenham decide to trigger his clause in the coming weeks.
Cardoso has been an important player for Betis, and there is no doubt that he could be a quality addition to the Spurs midfield as well. The North London club need more quality and depth in the middle of the park and the 23-year-old could be the ideal fit for them.
The reported asking price seems reasonable for a player of his potential in today’s market, and he could justify the investment in the coming season.
Can Aston Villa win the race for Johnny Cardoso?
Even though Aston Villa are keen on signing the player, Tottenham clearly have a major advantage in the race to sign him, and the West Midlands club can only hope that the North London club abandon their interest in the player.
It will be interesting to see how the situation develops. Aston Villa have secured Champions League qualification and they are having to contend with an increased number of fixtures. They could certainly use more quality and depth in the side.
Meanwhile, Cardoso will be attracted to the idea of competing in the Premier League, and the likes of Tottenham will be an attractive destination for him. Aston Villa have an ambitious project as well. It remains to be seen where he ends up eventually.