Tottenham are reportedly "ready" to step up their move for a £20 million centre-back as chairman Daniel Levy and co chase more defensive options.

The centre-backs linked with moves to Spurs

There have been an array of top central defenders linked with moves to Spurs since Micky van de Ven's long-term injury. The Dutchman's hamstring problem is expected to keep him out until 2024, and since his absence, manager Ange Postecoglou has been winless in his last four Premier League games.

Tottenham interested in move to sign "fearless" £20m defender in January

The N17 outfit have set their sights on a new target for Ange Postecoglou.

By
Chloe Chadwick

Nov 27, 2023

Van de Ven's lack of involvement has highlighted a bigger issue, though, namely Tottenham's serious lack of cover in the position. Cristian Romero was suspended for a time too, meaning Postecoglou has been forced into starting makeshift pair Emerson Royal and Ben Davies at the heart of his defence.

Postecoglou really doesn't appear to favour Eric Dier either, but even the Englishman is now injured and unavailable as cover. While van de Ven and Romero could be partnering each other again next month, Spurs quite simply must avoid a scenario like this again later in the season.

Levy and new sporting director Johan Lange, as a result, are reportedly planning to sign a new centre-back for Tottenham in January. Uruguay defender Sebastian Caceres, Everton's Ben Godfrey, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, Genoa star Radu Dragusin, Union Saint-Gilloise's Koki Machida, Benfica starlet Morato, English starlet Jarrad Branthwaite and Sporting Lisbon's Goncalo Inacio have all been linked with Spurs since November.

These are a few interesting names to have been mentioned by reports in the media, with an update now coming to light on Godfrey.

Spurs "ready" to step up Godfrey move

According to 90min and journalist Graeme Bailey on X, Spurs are "ready" to step up a move for Godfrey who has found game time pretty difficult to come by under Sean Dyce this season.

It's believed the defender is "ready to leave" and determined for an Everton exit push amid Tottenham's chase for him, with the 90min report also claiming he'll cost around £20 million to prise away from Goodison Park this winter.

The Lilywhites are apparently "prepared to push ahead with a move" for Godfrey, who actually ticks many boxes as a pacey centre-back who could well be suited to playing Postecoglou's aggressive high line.

Tottenham scouts have actually been pretty impressed by the 25-year-old in recent seasons, so much so that he is now one of the prime candidates to reinforce what has been a stretched Spurs defence.

Godfrey's speed has also been highlighted by former Toffees defender Jonjoe Kenny, now plying his trade at Hertha Berlin, who called the Englishman "rapid" back in 2021.

“Ben Godfrey catches pigeons, simple as," said Kenny two years ago (via The Liverpool Echo).

“But when Ben gets going he’s rapid so I don’t know if they have a race or would have a race but yeah, it’s close between them two. Dominic is really quick too but I’d say Ben.”

England batsman cops ODI criticism on the chin as she eyes big score in second T20 against India

Annesha Ghosh in Guwahati06-Mar-20191:07

‘Too good to not be in the team’

England batsman Danielle Wyatt has owned up to her struggles matching potential with performance in ODIs, having put those concerns to rest briefly with her maiden ODI fifty in her 63rd appearance in the format, against India last week in Mumbai.Wyatt reached the milestone a game after she was dropped from the starting XI, in the second ODI, after which England captain Heather Knight explained the decision was based on Wyatt’s inability to “transfer” her explosiveness in T20s to the longer format.”I was unaware she said those comments,” Wyatt said of Knight in Guwahati on Wednesday, having helped England to a 1-0 lead two days before in the ongoing three-match T20I series with an 89-run opening stand alongside Tammy Beaumont. “But it’s probably fair enough. It’s taken me 60-odd games to make my first ODI fifty, which is frustrating.”I’ve shown my talent in the T20 game. It’s just a matter of showing what I can do in ODIs. So to get that first fifty and help us win that last ODI was a bit of a relief, really. Hopefully that’s a start to more runs to come [in the format].”After England’s loss in the second ODI, Knight had underlined that dropping Wyatt in favour of Lauren Winfield wasn’t a decision based solely on Wyatt’s 6-ball 1 in the first ODI.”Danni’s been slightly upsetting the way she’s been getting out,” Knight had said after England’s 66-run defeat in the second ODI. “She’s been outstanding in T20 cricket. She’s become one of the best T20I cricketers in the world, but she hasn’t quite managed to transfer that into ODIs yet.”She’s had a lot of opportunities and she has a lot of talent. We set the challenge for her to try and be the best finisher in the world in ODI cricket. She hasn’t shown that yet… the way Lauren has played in the nets, she’s put pressure on Danni for us to pick her ahead of Danni.”The punt worked in England’s favour to some extent with Winfield making an enterprising 49-ball 28 to help arrest a collapse in the company of half-centurion Natalie Sciver although England lost the game and the series. Had it not been for an injury to left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, though, Wyatt may not have figured in the starting XI in the series ender, where she scored her maiden ODI half-century to deny India a 3-0 whitewash.Mark Robinson, the England head coach, echoed Knight’s assessment of Wyatt’s struggles to deliver on her promise as a potent ODI batsman.”Danni is incredibly frustrating and immensely talented, and a pleasure to be around at the same level,” Robinson told ESPNcricinfo. “She’s got all the skills and attributes, but sometimes it’s about joining it all together. When we left her out, I said to her, ‘You’re too good not to be in this team.'””It’s just that she needs a little bit of extra control at times. We don’t want to put shackles on her because she’s such a naturally talented ball-striker.”Danielle Wyatt plays one to the off side•Getty ImagesRobinson also underlined that as with every other member of the England women’s squads, Wyatt’s job in the two limited-overs sides has been clearly outlined and explained to the 27-year-old batsman.”Her job is to win games for England, her job is to finish games off,” Robinson said. “And at times to accelerate the scoring rate, take risks at times, at times is to sit in and stop the bleeding, and that’s what she must do when batting at No. 6 and 7. The more she does that, she won’t be out of the team. That’s the message.”At the top of the order [in T20Is], she must play with freedom and take on the Powerplay and the best bowlers in the world, and occasionally play with control so we can make sure we convert good scores into big scores”.Wyatt said the challenge for her to attune her style of play to the two formats was more mental than tactical, and that she was aware of the role her coach and captain required.”It’s all in the head,” Wyatt said. “[In] T20, just go out there. My job at the top of the order is to explode from ball one, really, whereas in ODI, you’ve got a lot more time to think. It’s more about knocking the ball around.”What the coaches have said is they don’t want me to lose my aggressive play – the way I play. In that first ODI, I guess that loose shot from me… [I] probably deserved to get dropped in the second ODI, but [I] bounced back in the last game.”Heading into the second T20 in Guwahati, which will be played on a different track at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Wyatt said an encore of her blinding 124 against India at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai last year may not be too far away. In her three appearances for England on this tour, she has made 1 and 56 in the two ODIs, and fell for a brisk 35 in the first T20I.”I want to perform in every game, every time I play for England, “Wyatt said. “Obviously, I’ve got that 124 at the back of my mind, in Mumbai. I know I can do that [here]; it’s definitely that [kind of] wicket. Hopefully in the next two games I can get as many runs as I can.”

MatériaMais Notícias

A direção do Internacional confirmou na tarde deste domingo que o meia-atacante Thiago Galhardo seguirá na equipe Colorada. Jogador e clube haviam aceito a proposta do Al Hilal, da Arábia Saudita, mas a negociação acabou não se concretizando e foi encerrada neste domingo conforme anunciou o time gaúcho em comunicado.

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“O Sport Club Internacional informa ter encerrado as negociações com o Al-Hilal Al Saudi Club a respeito da possível transferência do atleta Thiago Galhardo. O jogador seguirá normalmente suas atividades com foco no término da temporada 2020”, diz o texto.

Segundo o site Globoesporte.com, dois fatores pesaram para transação não ser fechada: o prazo apertado e a falta de garantia de pagamento. A janela de transferências na Arábia Saudita encerra neste domingo, dia 07 de fevereiro.

Sendo assim, o Galhardo continua no Inter. Seu contrato com o Colorado vai até o final de 2022. Ele é o artilheiro da equipe na temporada e se recupera de contusão.

Manchester United could be set to lose one of their first-team stars next month, with a fresh report revealing that he’s received an offer to leave ahead of January.

Man United's summer departures

The Red Devils sanctioned the sales of 11 players during the previous window, with eight of those being on a permanent basis, while the remaining three were sent out on loan for the rest of the season in order to increase their experience and game time.

Permanent Exits

Loan Moves

Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)

Brandon Williams (Ipswich Town)

Anthony Elanga (Nottingham Forest)

Alvaro Fernandez (Granada CF)

Fred (Fenerbahce)

Mason Greenwood (Getafe)

Matej Kovar (Bayer Leverkusen)

Alex Telles (Al-Nassr)

Zidane Iqbal (FC Utrecht)

Eric Bailly (Besiktas)

Teden Mengi (Luton Town)

According to The Daily Mail, Erik ten Hag’s side are open to offers for Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial in the coming weeks, with the club’s football director, John Murtough, having travelled to Saudi Arabia to seek destinations for the out of favour players.

At Old Trafford, Casemiro is another squad member on that same list, with the defensive midfielder having made just eight appearances this season in the Premier League due to having missed the last nine games with a knock (Transfermarkt – Casemiro statistics).

The Brazil international has already attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Al-Hilal and an unnamed club in the Serie A, but if the following update is to be believed, the 31-year-old has been given the chance to move onto new pastures in the coming weeks.

Casemiro gets Saudi Arabia proposal

According to Spanish outlet Marca (via Sport Witness), Casemiro has received an “important offer” from Saudi Arabia, but it’s not stated which club it has come from.

The Man United veteran has recently been considering a “change of scenery”, and with his new proposal coming with a “lot of money”, he could be tempted to accept the deal.

The M16 outfit would be looking to recoup at least part of the €70m (£60m) that they paid for the talisman when he joined from Real Madrid, so this could be one to keep a close eye on in the coming weeks.

Man United need to keep "world-class" Casemiro

As it stands, Casemiro currently ranks in the 99th percentile for blocks and the 97th percentile for clearances, showing that he’s not afraid to put his body on the line and get stuck in to clear the danger and regain possession for his team (FBRef – Casemiro statistics).

However, Ten Hag’s star is also capable of making a positive impact at the opposite end of the pitch having clocked up five involvements, four goals and one assist, from 12 appearances across all competitions since the start of the season.

As hailed by Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, Casemiro is a “world-class” player and the club could be making a huge mistake if they were to sanction his sale next month, especially considering that he has been their best-performing defensive player this campaign (WhoScored – Man United statistics).

Arsenal are enjoying a superb start to the Premier League campaign and are now making significant progress off the pitch regarding a new deal at the Emirates Stadium, according to a report.

Arsenal see off Wolverhampton Wanderers…

On Saturday, Arsenal ensured that they would finish the weekend top of the Premier League table regardless of results elsewhere after goals from Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were enough to ensure Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Matheus Cunha's reply was nothing more than a consolation for the visitors as the hosts ran out 2-1 winners.

Despite a nervy few minutes towards the end of the clash, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was delighted with his players' attitude to see an important three points over the line, stating via the club's official website:

"I can only praise the players the way they played, competed, they were excellent, we played against a really good side and we generated so much and conceded almost nothing, the scoreline should’ve been very different."

He then added: "We are really unlucky in certain moments, we hit the post twice or three times I think, and at the end, we made an error close to the goal and in the Premier League, you get punished big time and then it’s game on, but I am really, really happy with how we performed again."

Showing resilience in the final stages, Arsenal have the joint-best defensive record in the division at the time of writing, conceding just 11 times over the course of 2023/24.

David Raya and his backline have shown a steely edge when required this term and one of the Gunners' defensive assets now looks set to commit his future to the club, according to a report.

Takehiro Tomiyasu set for pay rise

According to Football Insider, Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is in advanced talks over a new deal at the club, which would see the Japan international receive a significant pay rise from his current £55,000 per week contract.

Takehiro Tomiyasu statistics in 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

19

Goals

1

Assists

3

Bayern Munich are believed to be keen on Tomiyasu; nevertheless, the versatile defender is happy at the Emirates Stadium and is seen as a key component of Arteta's plans due to his adaptability, which enables him to slot into right-back, left-back and central defensive positions comfortably.

Impressing with his propensity to distribute the ball efficiently, Tomiyasu has recorded a passing accuracy of 85.9 % in the Premier League and averaged around one long pass per match across all competitions (Tomiyasu statistics – WhoScored).

Labelled "terrific" by Arsenal boss Arteta, Tomiyasu has once again emerged from the periphery to be an important contributor for the Gunners and will be needed over the course of the season if his current employers have designs on winning their first league title since 2004.

With his current terms set to expire in 2025, it makes perfect sense for Arsenal to renew Tomiyasu's terms to ward off any interest in his services from elsewhere.

Arsenal closing in on deal to sign £8k-p/w "magnificent talent" for Arteta

The Gunners have reportedly made a breakthrough in their pursuit of a long-term target.

ByChloe Chadwick Dec 2, 2023

The relentless Championship schedule is already starting to impact Leeds United and their performances as they have dropped points in the last two matches.

Daniel Farke's side were held to a 1-1 draw last time out against Coventry at Elland Road and that came off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Those two results have left the Whites a staggering ten points adrift of Ipswich Town in second and 13 points behind league-leaders Leicester City, who currently occupy the two automatic promotion places.

Leeds are competing to make an instant return to the Premier League after they were relegated from the top-flight at the end of last season, but will have to do so via the play-offs unless they can oust one of the top two out of the way during the second half of the campaign.

The January transfer window is set to open for business next month and the Yorkshire-based outfit could dip into the market to provide their promotion push with a boost heading into the final few months of the season.

Leeds transfer news – Kerem Akturkoglu

A recent report from Turkish outlet Fanatik claimed that Leeds are one of the teams showing an interest in Galatasaray forward Kerem Akturkoglu.

It was stated that the Whites and Italian side Lazio are both eyeing up the talented whiz ahead of a possible swoop for his services in 2024.

Fanatik also reported that several clubs from England, Italy, and France have been in 'frequent' contact with the player's agents to determine how viable a transfer could be either in January or next summer.

However, it was also claimed that Galatasaray have decided, after an internal meeting to discuss their strategy, that they will not be cashing in on any of their star players and only those already on the transfer list will be allowed to depart.

This means that Leeds could have a tough job on their hands to convince the Turkish giants to part ways with Akturkoglu when the window opens.

However, the sale of one of their current forwards could provide them with the funds to make an attractive offer to Galatasaray, which is where Wilfried Gnonto could come in.

Football Insider recently reported that Leeds could accept an offer for the Italy international in January as the 20-year-old wants to play regular first-team football.

Premier League and Serie A sides are said to be keeping an eye on his situation and it was previously claimed by TEAMtalk that Everton, Roma, and Lazio are keen on the gem, who would cost a fee in the region of £25m.

Cashing in on Gnonto could allow Farke to invest in another forward and this could, therefore, open the door for a swoop for Akturkoglu, who could come in as the manager's new version of Crysencio Summerville.

Summerville's season in numbers

The Dutch forward has been in terrific form so far this season in the Championship and has proven to be a reliable attacking outlet for his side.

Summerville managed four goals and two assists in 28 Premier League appearances for Leeds during the 2022/23 campaign as they were relegated to the second tier.

The 22-year-old has been able to use that top-flight experience to become a superstar for the Whites with his electric performances this term.

He has spearheaded Farke's attack on the left wing and has been one of the best players in the entire division, with his average Sofascore rating of 7.89 topping the league ahead of the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Gabriel Sara, and ex-Leeds forward Jack Clarke.

Summerville is currently third in the league for goals (ten), only behind Sammie Szmodics and Adam Armstrong, and is joint-fifth for assists (six), as it stands.

The impressive left-winger, who has created ten 'big chances' for his teammates, is also top of the Leeds squad for key passes (3.1) and dribbles completed (2.7) per game so far this season in the Championship.

These statistics show that the Dutch wizard has the quality to make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch week-in-week-out with his ability as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

He provides variety in his game that makes it difficult for defenders to stop him as Summerville can just as easily dribble on the outside to create a chance for a teammate as he can dribble inside to open up space for himself to score.

The statistics that show why Akturkoglu could be Summerville 2.0

Farke could now land his next version of the Leeds star by securing a deal ahead of Lazio to land Akturkoglu's signature before the end of next month.

The 25-year-old whiz, who can play out wide on either flank, has been in sublime form for Galatasaray since the start of last season and has the potential to offer similar qualities to Summerville in the final third.

He is a winger who has the ability to contribute with goals and assists at an impressive rate, which could make him a fantastic addition to the squad ahead of the second half of the season.

Last term, Akturkoglu racked up nine goals, 11 assists, and 17 'big chances' created in 34 Turkish Super Lig outings for Galatasaray.

The exciting dynamo has followed that up with a return of four goals, five assists, and 11 'big chances' created in 13 Super Lig starts so far during the 2023/24 campaign.

This means that the Turkey international, who was once described as “unstoppable” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has produced 13 goals, 16 assists, and created 28 'big chances' in his last 47 league outings, which highlights how productive he is at the top end of the pitch.

The Whites target is a right-footed winger, who can play on either side, and has the quality to score and assist goals at an eye-catching rate, just like Farke's current superstar on the left flank.

Akturkoglu has made 2.9 key passes per game for his teammates this season and only Summerville (3.1) has managed more than that within the Leeds squad.

These statistics all indicate that the 5 foot 8 Turkish sensation could be a phenomenal addition to the club if he is able to translate those performances over to English football, due to the impact he could have on matches with his attacking contributions.

His unbeaten 141 in the BPL final against Dhaka Dynamites became an out-of-body experience for Tamim Iqbal. He said that he needed a little more time to fully grasp the enormity of his knock, one that contained a Bangladesh record 11 sixes and ten fours, and which turned out to be 70.85% of Comilla Victorians’ total in the final.It was such a one-man show that Tamim not only gave the Victorians a good start, he also built partnerships, held it together in the middle overs and then had to slog all the way through to the last over. The rest of their batsmen contributed only 47 runs off 59 balls.Parts of Tamim’s innings were truly unique to his style of batting. He has 20 international hundreds, and has figured out how to go about run-scoring in Tests and ODIs, in different circumstances. But this involved pacing an innings and never dropping off in his strike rate, which ended up being 231.14 after facing 61 balls.Tamim said that the plan to treat one bowler – Sunil Narine – with respect paid dividends. He batted at a 246-plus strike rate against Rubel Hossain and Andre Russell, and then despite having a more defensive mindset against Shakib Al Hasan, went after him for 30 runs off 10 balls.”To be honest, I feel I am still dreaming,” Tamim said. “I still don’t know how I batted. I think I can explain better after I see the highlights. At one stage I got very pissed when [Anamul Haque] Bijoy got out. I had to calm myself down and start again. I am sure that when I see the highlights, I can say it better.”I honestly never thought I’d play such a knock but I think I planned it really nicely. I didn’t want to give a wicket to Shakib [Al Hasan] and [Sunil] Narine, who were Dhaka’s most successful bowlers. I hardly took any risk against Narine apart from one six. It was an unbelievably good wicket so I backed myself against the pacers.”To remain in a positive state of mind for the duration of the tournament, Tamim said that he adopted Mashrafe Mortaza’s mantra of continuously telling himself that he will win. “I get tensed before a game, especially when the responsibility is with me,” he said. “So I decided to be positive all the way. You know owners can be emotional but not for a minute did I tell them that we will lose. The credit goes to Mr Mortaza.”Tamim said that his innings would also be a lesson for the rest of the Bangladeshi cricketers that on a big occasion, someone among the locals can do the job. “A Bangladeshi did the job in a big occasion in the BPL. I think this is the best achievement from today’s innings. Normally an overseas player does the job on the big day in previous occasions.”I hope my innings inspires the others from Bangladesh. They don’t need to wait for others to do it. We can also do it.”Tamim’s wait for the BPL trophy is now over, having gone through several disappointments and some controversies in the past editions. “It was very personal,” he said. “I always wanted to win a cup. The monkey is off my back.”

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has delivered an update on the future of Jadon Sancho with the winger currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund.

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Man Utd in talks with SanchoOn loan with Borussia DortmundTen Hag will tackle issue at end of seasonGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Ten Hag has revealed that the club have held talks with the English winger during his loan spell with the Bundesliga side, as the Dutchman also confirmed there was 'conflict' with the forward earlier this season. The Manchester United boss has also claimed that his dispute with the forward will be resolved at the end of the current campaign.

AdvertisementWHAT TEN HAG SAID

Speaking to the media, Ten Hag said: "We are close in that process. We are visiting games, not only [Wednesday] – [I] will not say all the games, but we have seen more games from Dortmund where Jadon was performing. We had a visit with him, we talked with him, and we will keep going with this process.

On the dispute with Sancho, he added: "There was a conflict and let’s finish the season first. So stay away from this issue now – it is not important. He has the return [leg] of the semi-final, in the league it is not going that well for them. We have four important games in the league and the FA Cup final and then we will see."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Earlier in the season, Ten Hag and Sancho had a major falling out after the 24-year-old winger hit back at Ten Hag after the Dutchman had publically called out Sancho's training levels. The 54-year-old boss immediately dropped Sancho and froze him out. The winger then returned to Dortmund on loan in January and has gone on to help the team make it to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

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WHAT NEXT FOR SANCHO?

Since joining the Bundesliga side, Sancho has been able to play regularly and starred for the club during their 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash. He and Dortmund will take on the Parisians on Tuesday, May 7 in the return.

A top off-field target for Manchester United is now thought to be keen on an Old Trafford move, according to a new report.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s plans at Man Utd

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to buy 25% of the club and take control of footballing operations of the Red Devils, and it looks as if he could make sweeping changes when he arrives following the £1.3bn deal. He has already decided to fire chief executive Richard Arnold, whereas director of football John Murtough could be the next Old Trafford casualty.

It has recently been reported that Murtough is holding meetings over potential January transfers for United, however, he could be given a new role by Ratcliffe and INEOS when their investment is ratified, which could be after the winter window. (The Daily Mail)

Fabrizio Romano shares agreement to axe Man Utd player unhappy with Ten Hag

A January deal has already been rubber stamped.

ByDavid Comerford Dec 21, 2023

As a result, a new director of football is seemingly on the agenda for Ratcliffe and co, with Newcastle United’s Dan Ashworth emerging as a top target for the position.

Recent rumours claimed that those at St James’ Park are braced for an approach from Man Utd for Ashworth and have already been looking at possible replacements, which include Bournemouth recruitment expert Richard Hughes. Now, a further update has emerged regarding the Red Devils and Ratcliffe in what is a boost for Ratcliffe.

Dan Ashworth keen on Man Utd move

According to Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey, new top target Ashworth is now “very keen” on taking the role at Old Trafford, with Man Utd holding behind-the-scenes talks over a possible deal.

The 52-year-old is attracted by the proposition so could end up leaving Newcastle, which he joined back in May 2022 after departing Brighton & Hove Albion.

It looks as if a move to Manchester for Ashworth could materialise, and should that happen, it may come as welcome news to Gary Neville. The Red Devils legend took to X earlier this season to share an interaction he had with Ashworth prior to the Magpies’ 3-0 win at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup.

“On my way up to the gantry last night, I bumped into Dan Ashworth. He transformed the FA’s structure, set Brighton up for this incredible period of success and has now built a strong foundation for the new owners at Newcastle. He’s competent, highly qualified and knows what he’s doing.

“Last night, we saw the Theatre of Dreams turn into the Theatre of Nothing. Every single United fan bored and flat. On the pitch, the players in shock, the performances woeful and a manager struggling in front of our eyes. We’ve seen it before, we know how it ends and we’ve had enough.”

It looks like a deal will be one to watch in the new year, and at this moment in time, all the signs are looking positive.

The American midfielder is killing it in Spain, earning himself plenty of admirers on both sides of the Atlantic

The term 'meteoric rise' is thrown around plenty in soccer, and it could easily be used to describe Johnny Cardoso in 2024. Just a few short months ago, the midfielder completed a relatively under-the-radar move to Real Betis. Now, having dominated La Liga since his introduction, the rumor mill is already linking him to Barcelona.

It's insane how quickly Cardoso has adjusted to life in Spain. He's stepped right into one of the league's better teams and established himself as one of that team's better players. It's no fluke that Barca are taking notice – Cardoso has earned that type of attention.

But his rise has only been meteoric to those who haven't been paying attention. The 22-year-old has been a player on the U.S. men's national team radar for years. This summer, though, it looks like he could take a leap from the radar to the starting XI just in time for the Copa America.

Cardoso's reputation is growing, both at home and abroad, and it looks like his rise is only just getting started.

• Getty
  

  Big move to Betis

  Born in New Jersey to Brazilian parents, Cardoso spent nearly all of his life in his family's homeland. He moved back to South America at three months old, and, prior to January's big move, developed his game in one of the most competitive soccer countries on the planet.

  After stints with Avai and Criciuma, Cardoso joined the academy of Internacional, rising all the way to the first team. He made his professional debut in 2019, and never really left the starting line up after properly breaking through in 2020. He played at least 22 league matches in each of his final three seasons with the club, while also featuring 11 teams in the Copa Libertadores in 2023.

  Throughout that year, the American midfielder was linked with a move to Betis. A proposed summer transfer didn't come to fruition, but the Spanish side came right back in for Cardoso in January. They paid a reported fee of $6.3 million to sign the USMNT midfielder, and what a bargain that is looking like just a few months later.

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• Life in La Liga

  It took no time for Cardoso to prove himself with Betis. He was named La Liga's Under-23 Player of the Month in February, and his momentum hasn't slowed down in the weeks since.

  Playing under ex-Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini, Cardoso has established himself as one of the league's top midfielders. In fact, defensively, there may not be a better midfielder in Spain. He's in the 99th percentile for interceptions, 96th percentile for clearances and 95th percentile for aerials won. He's also in the 88th percentile for tackles, but he's not just limited to defending; you can find him in the 71st percentile for passing percentage, too.

  In addition to his midfield work, he's also provided two assists and a goal. That goal came against Athletic Club, a stunning long-range effort in February's 3-1. win.

  In all facets, Cardoso has been a revelation in La Liga, and Europe's top clubs have taken notice.

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  Barcelona links

  It seems that Cardoso could be in La Liga for a long time, but his stay with Real Betis may be short. reported that both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are chasing the USMNT midfielder, and that both clubs have reached out to his representatives in recent weeks. Cardoso reportedly has a release clause of €80m (£68m/$85m), but Betis would be willing to accept a bid of around €30m (£25m/$32m) if it arrived.

  Barca and Atleti aren't the only clubs interested, though. The report adds that Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are also looking at Cardoso, with both Bundesliga teams having also been in contact with Cardoso's entourage. Premier League clubs and teams in Serie A are also keeping an eye on Cardoso, who looks like he'll be a wanted man this summer.

  A potential transfer isn't the only thing on Cardoso's agenda in the coming months, though, as the midfielder will have one eye on the USMNT squad for the Copa America.

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  USMNT career so far

  Cardoso has been in and around the USMNT for years. He made his debut in 2020 and, at just 22, already has 11 caps to his name. However, it's never really felt like he's gotten a consistent run of games. It's been an appearance here and there, as he he has started just twice in his grand total of 315 minutes. So, in some ways, the midfielder is still somewhat unproven at international level.

  The reason Cardoso has never quite gotten a USMNT shot? The USMNT's established MMA midfielder of Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams is all but locked in when healthy. That trio were fantastic in the lead up to and during the 2022 World Cup, and it makes no sense to break up a good thing.

  USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter could be forced into some changes, though, and Cardoso could certainly be the answer he's looking for.