Manchester United are plotting a swap deal for Johnny Cardoso, despite Tottenham Hotspur having already reached an agreement for the LaLiga ace, according to reports.
Cardoso is a 23-year-old defensive midfielder who broke through at Internacional in Brazil before joining Real Betis in a €6million deal in January 2024. This season, the USMNT star has made 40 appearances for Betis in all competitions and chipped in with four goals.
Cardoso has made a name for himself as one of the best No 6s in Spain as he is a strong tackler who excels at winning duels before retaining possession.
Cardoso has confirmed that Spurs have first refusal to sign him in the summer for €25m (£21m / $28.5m). The deal was agreed when Spurs sold Giovani Lo Celso to Betis in August last year.
However, Spurs have yet to activate their option for Cardoso and they could now see him join Premier League rivals Man Utd.
According to United reporter Sam Cohen, Cardoso is the latest midfielder on United’s shortlist.
The Red Devils have been ‘scouting Cardoso in recent weeks’.
United are weighing up a ‘formal approach’ to see if they can agree a swap for the midfield enforcer involving Antony.
The latter has rejuvenated his career while on loan away from United and Betis are hoping to sign him permanently this summer.
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Antony has been a massive flop at Old Trafford since joining in a huge £82m deal in summer 2022. United head coach Ruben Amorim would be delighted to get rid of the Brazilian this summer, especially if he gets a highly rated player such as Cardoso in return.
The 18-cap USA international is not the only Betis player United have been tipped to include in a swap for Antony.
It emerged earlier this week that United may also ask for an exciting Betis winger who is a target for Chelsea.
Cardoso is among several midfielders United are considering as they seek replacements for Casemiro and Christian Eriksen.
Fabrizio Romano has described Atalanta’s Ederson as a ‘dream target’ for Amorim and United. Ederson’s stance on moving to the Premier League has been revealed, too.
United are also monitoring Napoli’s midfield machine Stanislav Lobotka.
Man Utd transfers: Chelsea threat; Cunha latest
Meanwhile, Chelsea are ‘confident’ they will sign a striker before United, according to a report.
United are pressing ahead with their bid to land Matheus Cunha, with Amorim pushing for the capture of a new No 10.
Click here for all the latest on Cunha’s situation.
IN-PROFILE: Who is Johnny Cardoso?
Life has moved fast for Johnny Cardoso ever since the United States international midfielder moved to Europe last January.
The 22-year-old joined Real Betis from Brazilian side Internacional during the January transfer window and has so impressed in little over half a season in La Liga that Tottenham Hotspur have already moved to secure a first option on him at a pre-agreed price of €30m.
It was a savvy move from Spurs who, as part of the negotiations to sell Argentinian playmaker Gio Lo Celso back to the Andalusian club they signed from in 2019, extracted additional value from the deal by obtaining the rights to jump the queue for one of the most interesting and high-potential young players in the Spanish top flight.
Cardoso was born on New Jersey and has represented the USA at under-23 and senior level, but to all intents and purposes he is a Brazilian footballer.
Born to Brazilian parents, the Cardosos moved back to their South American homeland when baby Joao Lucas – nicknamed “Johnny” – was just a few months old.
Cardoso came through the youth academy at Internacional to make his senior debut for the club a few days before his 18th birthday.
He soon became a regular starter at the Beira-Rio, racking up 144 appearances and scoring seven goals for the side from Porto Alegre.
That was enough to attract Betis’ attention, and the club from Seville splashed €6 million to take him to the Estadio Benito Villamarin midway through last season.
Cardoso hit the ground running in La Liga. After making his debut in a 4-2 loss to Barcelona on January 21, he played a full 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory over Mallorca a week later. Over what remained of the campaign, the 22-year-old started 15 of Betis’ 17 fixtures, coming off the bench in the other two.
Despite his impressive displays after his cross-continental switch, anyone expecting Cardoso to showcase the kind of flair, trickery and creativity associated with players who learned their trade in Brazil would have been disappointed.
Instead, he is a player in the mould of the classic Brazilian defensive midfielders – more Dunga than Romario, more Casemiro than Neymar. Strong and athletic at 6ft tall, Cardoso is a fierce competitor who doesn’t swerve a physical challenge in his duties protecting the backline. On the ball, he keeps things relatively simple, with a conservative approach to passing.