On deadline day, Tottenham Hotspur agreed a deal to sell Giovani Lo Celso to Real Betis.
Prior to the agreement, we covered claims from Spain which stated Spurs have acquired future rights on Johnny Cardoso, as part of the deal for Lo Celso.
Real Betis president Ángel Haro has now confirmed Tottenham’s interest and also their option to buy the 22-year-old. He revealed this during Natan’s presentation on Monday, and his comments are relayed by Mundo Deportivo.
Johnny is a player that interests not only Tottenham, but many other teams, he has a great projection,” he said.
“In this case, within the Gio operation, they asked us for an option to buy for a value that for us was important and interesting and we gave them that option.”
Haro hasn’t revealed the fee Tottenham have to pay to buy the midfielder. According to Mundo Deportivo, the price is around €25m, and it can only be exercised during a two-week window in June 2025.
They add the American’s sale to Spurs could provide Manuel Pellegrini’s side liquidity to make Vitor Roque’s [on loan from Barcelona] stay permanent at the end of this season.
Real Betis sporting director Manu Fajardo has also confirmed Tottenham’s purchase option to buy the midfielder.
“Johnny’s performance is extraordinary. He’s going to bring a lot of joy to Beticismo. Tottenham has a purchase option in amounts that will satisfy Betis if they occur,” Fajardo explained, relayed by ABC Sevilla.
Cardoso arrived at Real Betis in January and signed a contract until 2029. He has made four appearances for Manuel Pellegrini’s side this season.
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Lucas Bergvall is among many Spurs players set to travel for the international duty. Now that the teenager has received his call-up to the Swedish national team, his compatriot and Spurs teammate Dejan Kulusevski has expressed his happiness and spoken about his quality.
When it was put out to him that Lucas Bergvall got the call-up to the national team for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, Kulusevski told Football London:
“Yeah absolutely. He has been fantastic. He has come in and he’s doing really good every day, training hard and learning from the other players. I’m happy for him and I’m happy that I can bring him to the national team with me.”
Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski found himself in an unfamiliar role as a striker during the recent 2-1 loss to Newcastle United, stepping in due to the absence of both Dominic Solanke and Richarlison.
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Speaking to, Football London after the match, Kulusevski reflected on the experience, acknowledging that playing as the main forward was a different challenge for him.
While he adapted to the position, he admitted it wasn’t his natural spot on the pitch.
The Swedish international expressed some frustration with the team’s failure to make the most of their chances, especially given the opportunities they had to secure a win.
He pointed out that the final passes and decisions in the box were not as sharp as they needed to be, which ultimately hindered Tottenham’s effectiveness in front of goal.
The 24-year-old said:
“It was different, of course it’s different.
“The second half I went back to the midfield where I had much more space and we dominated the game. It was a really good game and I feel very good but I’m not happy we couldn’t win the game but we move on and keep our head up.”
During pre-season, Kulusevski had shown promise in the striker role, scoring twice against Bayern Munich. However, manager Ange Postecoglou indicated that once Solanke and Richarlison return to full fitness, Kulusevski would likely revert to his more natural position in attacking midfield or on the wing.
Postecoglou highlighted that the acquisition of Solanke was specifically to have a natural striker accustomed to leading the line.
Despite the defeat at Newcastle, Tottenham demonstrated their potential in the previous 4-0 victory over Everton, where Kulusevski also played up front and performed well.
As the season progresses, Kulusevski’s adaptability will continue to be a significant asset for Spurs, although his skills may be best utilized in his traditional attacking roles.
