Who really wins in the Johnny Cardoso transfer war? – Opinion

There have been a lot of speculation surrounding a possible Tottenham Hotspur transfer for USMNT midfielder Johnny Cardoso, especially considering the fact that Daniel Levy had negotiated a transfer clause that could give the North Londoners an advantage to secure his signature in the ongoing summer transfer window.

We will have to jog back to last summer when the Lilywhites successfully negotiated a preferential purchase option to bring Johnny Cardoso to N17, which was a part of Giovani Lo Celso’s permanent transfer to Real Betis. It was a €25 million clause which, at the time, many praised as another of Levy’s masterstrokes, thinking that the 23-year-old (given his potential) would develop quickly into a menace of a midfielder. While this clause was not binding on the player, it did give the Lilywhites a right to match or exceed other offers, but if I look back at it today, the clause ended up being a commercial leverage for Betis rather than a pathway that Tottenham wanted to create.

Cardoso has developed into a really good player since moving to Betis; he has evolved into a regular asset, making invaluable contributions from the middle of the park. He is now also a regular international for the US men’s team, making his commercial value higher since moving to the La Liga giants. And let’s admit it, the way that he plays in a possession-based yet tactically disciplined manner with a high work rate suits Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid system at least more than what the Lilywhites had under Ange.

But if we think about it, Betis were playing the real game all along…