Where should Johnny Cardoso go next? USMNT and Real Betis star at center of summer transfer saga with Atletico Madrid, Tottenham and Barcelona all interested.
The 23-year-old is one of La Liga’s hottest commodities on the market, and the next move he makes will be crucial for his development
Will Johnny Cardoso be playing at the Metropolitano, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or Camp Nou next season? The U.S. international and Real Betis standout is drawing widespread interest after a breakout La Liga campaign, with clubs in both Spain and England reportedly pursuing a summer move.
The 23-year-old led Betis to their first major European final in the club’s history, as he and the Spanish outfit were named runners-up in the Europa Conference League on Wednesday after falling to Premier League side Chelsea in the final of the competition. It all but appears it was his final match for the club, too, as rumors and speculation about his next landing spot are heating up.
Named to Mauricio Pochettino’s 27-man CONCACAF Gold Cup training squad, Cardoso is being factored into playing a large role for his country this summer due to numerous midfield absences on the U.S. squad, including both Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah. With a potential breakout camp with the USMNT on the horizon, and transfer rumors swirling nonstop, the next few months are beginning to look like a stretch that could define his role for club and country in the buildup to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Atletico Madrid have reportedly named Cardoso as their top transfer target this summer, while La Liga rivals and Champions League semifinalists Barcelona were reportedly keen to bring him to Catalonia in recent months, too. Then, in England, Tottenham reportedly agreed a prearranged fee with Betis in January to acquire Cardoso this summer – but recent reports have surfaced saying Cardoso is not interested in joining Ange Postecoglou’s men.
But what’s the best choice for him ahead of this crucial summer?
GOAL takes a look at the active options on the table, delivering a verdict.
Barcelona
For Cardoso, if a genuine opportunity to move to Barcelona arrived, it would be hard to turn it down, right? Well, that might not be the case here for him.
A move to Catalonia would see him join an already congested midfield, and likely push him into a rotational spot alongside Gavi, Pedri, Frenkie De Jong, and the La Masia graduates who seemingly come out of nowhere each season to break out in their XI – like Marc Casado this past 2024-25 campaign. He’d be playing and competing alongside some of the most talented players in the world, not to mention Lamine Yamal, but it feels like a career move that could be detrimental to his prospects in a World Cup year.
Cardoso needs guaranteed playing time and a dedicated spot in a midfield that allows him to do what he does best as a defensive midfielder who breaks up transitional attacks and offers forward progress up the pitch from deep-lying areas. A move to Barcelona would affect his regular playing time and could potentially prohibit him from progressing his career forward, less than two years into his European journey.
Tottenham
Tottenham’s Premier League campaign across the 2024-25 season left a lot to be desired, and the world knows that. However, they were injury-plagued throughout the entire campaign, and often found themselves on the wrong side of results due to incredibly unlucky circumstances. It’s also no fluke that they showed their class when healthy, notably throughout their run in the Europa League, where Ange Postecoglou’s men were crowned champions of the competition, earning them a berth in the Champions League next season.
Postecoglou’s future at the helm of the club remains uncertain, but there’s no denying there is a skeleton for a potentially exciting project brewing at Spurs. With young talent like Archie Gray, Mikey Moore, and Lucas Bergvall, there’s genuine reason for fans of the club to be excited about where their future lies. But for Cardoso? It’s odd to see where he fits in the mix of it all.
Bringing the American into the mix at the club would be an immediate upgrade over their current crop of defensive midfielders, notably Rodrigo Bentancur, who has struggled to be regularly fit for the club over the past year. However, Spurs have made a heavy investment in both Gray and Bergvall, and bringing in Cardoso may hinder their growth, even though both are still just teenagers.
However, Cardoso seems like a perfect fit for Spurs in their 4-2-3-1 formation – a system he’s played in at Betis, and the transition would nearly be seamless. He’s already familiar with a double-pivot system alongside a more traditional No. 8 with a No. 10 roaming above them, so systematically, it’s a move that makes a lot of sense.
What it comes down to, though, is if the ambitions and goals of the London-based side align with Cardoso. With uncertainty on the touchline ahead of next season, and recent inconsistencies in their domestic performances, is it worth the relative gamble?
Atletico Madrid
It feels like the perfect situation for both clubs. Atleti have been crying out for a proper defensive midfielder for nearly two years now, and manager Diego Simeone has already identified Cardoso as the man he wants to pair in the middle of the pitch alongside Rodrigo De Paul. The Argentina international would complement Cardoso brilliantly, while England star Conor Gallagher would be able to play ahead of him as well, allowing Cardoso to stick to a defensive role in the middle of the park.
Cardoso, already familiar with the physicality and style of play in La Liga, seems like a perfect fit for Simeone, and it’s an immediate upgrade from Betis following his breakout season with them this past campaign. Atleti will be playing in the UEFA Champions League next season, and their manager has long been known to be a defensive-minded coach who plays through transitions – a style that feels like a perfect fit for the 23-year-old American.
Perhaps most importantly, a move to Atleti would give Cardoso the chance to learn from Rodrigo De Paul – a 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina and one of the most aggressive midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues. The 31-year-old is known for his combative style and relentless ball-winning in midfield. If Cardoso can adopt some of those traits, it could be a major boost for the USMNT — adding a hard-nosed, high-motor presence to the midfield. He has the potential to become a true workhorse who works hard for the badge, no matter the opponent or occasion.
If Cardoso has a choice to make between Spurs, Atleti, and Barca, this feels like the best fit of the bunch.
Other potential landing spots to monitor
+ Ahead of the Europa League final against Spurs, reports surfaced that Manchester United were interested in rivaling Tottenham for his signature, but with Ruben Amorim’s men now out of Europe next season, it appears highly unlikely that a bid will surface.
+ Back during the January transfer window, Wolverhampton Wanderers showed interest in Cardoso, but after finishing 16th in the Premier League, it feels unrealistic to even put them in contention for his signature.
