Atletico Madrid is looking for a new defensive midfielder, and they close a deal for one of their top goals during this summer's transfer window.
It is no secret that Athleti head coach Diego Simeone has been desperate to sign a pivot point for a while. Los Colchoneros could not sign there last summer, but 12 months later the wishes of Cholo will be granted.
In recent weeks it has been reported that Athleti has founded Real Betis' Johnny Cardoso as a priority goal for the summer, and they are now closing a deal to take him to the Riyadhair Metropolitano.
Tottenham Hotspur has a special clause with which they can sign Cardoso for a reduced price, but according to Marca (via spell), the USA International would rather be at Atleti this summer. And the report also stated that personal conditions have almost been agreed between player and club.
And club-to-club conversations are also supposed to be underway after the end of the season of Betis, which ended with their 4-1 UEFA Conference League final defeat against Chelsea on Wednesday. According to Givemesport, Spurs started to accept that they will not sign Johnny, which is expected to cost Athleti in the region of € 30 million.
There is no doubt that Cardoso would be a top signing for Athleti. He is impressed since he came to Betis of Internacional in January 2024, and at the age of 23 he is more than able to keep improving in the coming years.
The prospect of a midfield pairs of Pablo Barrios and Cardoso, with Rodrigo de Paul, Koke Resurreccion and Marcos Llorente as Backup Options, is a very attractive idea for Athleti, who will hopefully hope to have a deal in the coming weeks. And one is done, they can go on other goals, such as Alex Baena and Cristian Romero.