The base of midfield is a problem for Tottenham Hotspur this season. Spurs do not have a player who can sit deep and break up opposition attacks, screening the defence when danger arises.
Malian midfielder Yves Bissouma has been poor in the anchor midfield position, getting substituted by Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou in three of his last four starts. He is expected to leave this summer.
Meanwhile, Rodrigo Bentancur is a serviceable defensive midfielder. However, he remains unconvincing even though he is in talks with the club to sign a new contract. Tottenham need a top-quality anchor and should be in the market for one this summer.
Interestingly, Tottenham reportedly have a buy option for Real Betis star Johnny Cardoso. It remains to be seen whether Spurs will activate the clause to bring him down to North London.
Notwithstanding, Cardoso has been in excellent form recently, showing Spurs why they should take the punt on him.
After scoring the crucial equaliser as Betis beat Real Madrid at the beginning of the month, he netted another key leveller as they sealed a memorable victory over Sevilla in the Andalusian derby yesterday.
Despite being a defensive midfielder, Cardoso has fine instincts around the box that will serve him well at Spurs. He fired an unstoppable half-volley into the back of the Sevilla net after crashing into the box on 25.
Betis later scored the winner, and Cardoso came close to making it 3-1, driving to the box and unleashing a superb curling effort that went millimetres wide. Besides the goal, he showed his best quality – his ball-winning ability.
Against Sevilla, Cardoso won five of his nine duels. The 23-year-old made three tackles (winning one) and two interceptions. He made seven defensive actions and recovered the ball thrice.
Tottenham should sign Cardoso this summer – View
Cardoso’s positioning, reading of the game, and ability to snuff danger out make him a perfect candidate to plug the hole in the Tottenham midfield.
Spurs must activate the clause to bring the United States international down to N7. He can provide the steel the Tottenham engine room lacks and the screen the defence desperately needs.
(Stats from Sofascore and FotMob)