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After missing out on Cardoso, Levy can Chelsea’s resolve for Romeo Lavia. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Three alternatives that Tottenham should target after missing out on Johnny Cardoso – Opinion

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Jainil Shah | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 7:28 AM ET

Tottenham Hotspur had been eyeing a move for US international Johnny Cardoso, given how he was thriving at Real Betis and the fact that Daniel Levy had managed to negotiate an option to secure his signature on a bargain deal, but the North Londoners couldn’t get a hold of him as La Liga giants Atletico Madrid compound the race for his signature. We did write a story about how Real Betis won the Johnny Cardoso transfer by putting up a floor for his signatures, but now the Lilywhites have to look beyond as they look to resolve this midfield problem at N17.

Spurs need to bring in someone who has that ball-winning capacity and is a press-resistant midfielder who can anchor the Lilywhites midfield or support possession in Thomas Frank’s transitional 4-3-3 / 3-5-2 hybrid system. And while there are a few good options available in the market, we pick out three who would be an ideal injection of quality in the middle of the park at Hotspur Way.

Here we take a look at three possible alternatives that Tottenham can consider after having missed out on Johnny Cardoso’s signature:

Potential Cardoso alternatives that Levy can consider

Bringing that Danish energy Genoa

Tottenham have been linked with Morten Frendrup, and Daniel Levy could compound the links into a possible transfer. Given that the 24-year-old is good at winning the ball and has that successful tackling ability, he can end up filling several positions in the Lilywhites midfield.

He is that box-to-box presence who has the capacity to cover ground and come through in press-resistant transitions.

He is someone who is perfect for anchoring a double pivot if the North Londoners are looking to partner him up with someone. That being said, you can play him in a more dynamic single pivot system under Thomas Frank as well.

Taking advantage of the situation in West London for Romeo Lavia

The Manchester City academy graduate has not been able to showcase his potential at Stamford Bridge following his highly anticipated transfer from Southampton. He showed his poise and vertical ability when he was lining up for the Saints, which earned him that move to Chelsea.

The thing is that he is still only twenty-one and has that capacity to rejuvenate his career. And given how he is quite good at interceptions and quick deep-line passing, he can be that base player under Frank.

Moreover, if you look at how he angles himself after recovery, he is immediately driving forward, which is ideal for Frank’s vertical transitions.

Tottenham will have to test the waters with Chelsea on this one and see if the Blues are open to selling him.

Turning the Seagulls way with Carlos Baleba

Baleba has been one of the more consistent performances in the previous campaign, and he is a bit different from me because he also has this capacity when it comes to offensive layoffs. Then he has showcased that he has excellent defensive capabilities, which a lot of the time come down to his intelligent positioning.

Moreover, he is quite calm when it comes to build-ups, and it would end up suiting the North Londoners, who would try to hold the ball under pressure before releasing their offensive line (which Brentford used to do quite often under the Dane head coach).

I think he is more of a rotational DM or a transitional #6 who would slot into a two-man pivot with Bentancur or Sarr and rotate in single-pivot roles too.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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