La Liga star holds the aces amidst Tottenham transfer interest this summer

Spurs have been heavily linked with Real Betis star Johnny Cardoso. The defensive midfielder is enjoying an outstanding season in Spain and is already tied to a pre-agreed deal with Tottenham. The Premier League club have a first-refusal clause to sign the USA international for £21 million, a condition negotiated when Giovanni Lo Celso was sold to Real Betis last year.

However, Tottenham now face a significant stumbling block in their pursuit of the midfielder. According to Spanish outlet El Desmarque, the North Londoners’ clause to sign Johnny Cardoso is valid only in June. If they were to activate the clause, the 23-year-old ‘will have the last word’ on whether to join them.

Last month, Cardoso expressed his happiness in Spain and desire to continue at Real Betis for “many years”. The enforcer has played a key role in Betis’ UEFA Europa Conference League run-in to the final, where they will face Chelsea later this month. He has made 43 appearances across all competitions, making five contributions.

If Cardoso is not excited by the Tottenham project, he could reject them, continue at the Benito Villamarin or decide to join another club in the upcoming window. The aforementioned report adds that Cardoso and his agents are confident that they will receive better offers—both sporting and financial wise—amid interest from Atletico Madrid and Manchester United.

Having firmly established himself as one of the standout midfielders in La Liga this season, Cardoso is set to enter the transfer market as a highly coveted commodity. The USMNT’s rising star will definitely have the final say on his future, despite Spurs having a clause to sign him. Tottenham will need to agree personal terms with the player before opting to trigger the £21 million clause to buy him from Betis.

If Cardoso feels he can get better offers and substantial pay rise from other European clubs that will help him grow in his career, he has all the right to wait and opt against joining the North London club. Even staying at Betis for another year looks likely as per his own admission in April.

The only way Tottenham can swing things in their favour is by winning the Europa League in Bilbao.