On transfer deadline day, a new name emerged as a possible Spurs player for the future in a most curious deal. Here’s what we know about Johnny Cardoso.
With Giovani Lo Celso moving to Real Betis, Tottenham seemingly negotiated an unusual agreement that sees them get a priority option on the signing of Cardoso in the future, or a sell-on percentage if they decide against acquiring the player and he moves on to another club (Fabrizio Romano).
The midfielder is not a player who was previously on the radar for Spurs, and it is thought he was used as a bargaining chip by Betis to get the Lo Celso deal across the line.
But, if the Lilywhites do ever want to sign him, you’ll need to learn all about Cardoso. And that’s where we come in.
Name: João Lucas de Souza Cardoso
Age: 22-years-old
Place of birth: Denville, New Jersey, USA
Current club: Real Betis
Former club: Internacional
International appearances: 15 caps for USA (Transfermarkt)
Club appearances: 167 senior appearances, eight goals (Transfermarkt)
Cardoso only signed for Real Betis in January of this year, moving from Brazilian side Internacional. Since then, he has played 23 times for the La Liga outfit, registering one goal and two assists.
He is a regular starter for Betis in the middle of the park, where he operates as a defensive midfielder. According to DataMB, in 2023/24, Cardoso had a higher defensive duel win rate (71.55%) than any other midfielder in La Liga, and more than any midfielder in Europe under the age of 25.
Over in Brazil, Cardoso produced seven goals and five assists for Internacional. He made his debut for the USA national team back in 2020, but has only recently become a regular feature for his country.
Cardoso is a very combative player, whose main strengths lie in tackling and breaking up opposition attacks.
He is very effective at reading the game and intercepting the ball, but he’s just as good at putting in a strong tackle to win the ball. The 22-year-old is also great at putting his body on the line and blocking shots.
Interestingly, despite not being a particularly tall or physically imposing player, Cardoso wins a lot of his aerial duels, too.
His passing style is rather conservative. He likes to make short passes, mainly simple lay-offs, rather than finding a killer pass through the lines. This might not particularly suit Ange Postecoglou‘s more expansive, counter-attacking style.
The main chatter online around Cardoso right now is surprise and confusion around the nature of the deal Spurs negotiated, with many wondering why the club hadn’t been linked to him before and questioning whether the Lilywhites actually want him.
But, when it comes to analysis of the player himself, there are a lot of positive words out there. Many have praised his effectiveness as a number 6.
One social media user had the following to say about Cardoso: “All action 6, superb passing range, defensive positioning, exceptionally strong in duels and tackles, great athleticism and physicality, reads the game exceptionally well.”
Another, Ben Mattinson, said: “Should be a genuine option for many teams as a number 6. Solid dueller, calm under pressure, secure on the ball, progressive midfielder, ball winner too. Good base level of everything.”
Alasdair Gold even predicted Cardoso could be lined up as a replacement for Yves Bissouma next summer, if the latter cannot convince Postecoglou that he can be trusted.
I’m not convinced we have any interest in actually signing Cardoso. I think that the sell-on clause is what we were really bothered about, and it may well generate a few million for us in the future.
When it comes to his more defensive abilities, I think Cardoso is a decent holding midfielder. My concern is that he doesn’t have the dynamism and progressive mindset Postecoglou would want from a player.
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