Atletico Madrid have forged a plan with Real Betis to ensure that Tottenham Hotspur will not get what they are owed for Johnny Cardoso, amidst a big development in the race for the midfielder.
It has been widely reported over the last month that Tottenham’s £21m purchase option for Johnny Cardoso is set to be wasted since the midfielder prefers a move to Atletico Madrid, who are extremely keen on acquiring his services.
It was even claimed a few weeks ago that Cardoso has agreed personal terms with Atletico ahead of a switch to the Metropolitano Stadium.
Various sources claimed that Spurs will earn money from Cardoso’s transfer due to a sell-on clause they agreed for the USA international last summer while selling Giovani Lo Celso to Betis.
However, a new report has now revealed that the Lilywhites may be about to miss out on that fee.
Atletico Madrid and Real Betis set to offer Tottenham a multi-million blow
It has now been revealed by ABC Sevilla (as relayed by Sport Witness) that Atletico and Betis are advancing on the negotiations for Cardoso.
The report says that Diego Simeone’s side has proposed a €25m (£21.3m) fee, plus performance bonuses and a future income opportunity for Betis.
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In fact, Fabrizio Romano has claimed that a deal worth €30m (£25.5m) has already been finalised between the two clubs, with the final details now being ironed out.
ABC Sevilla point out that Tottenham Hotspur would be owed a percentage of the fee due to the sell-on clause they have on the 23-year-old, but the two Spanish sides are now coming up with a plan that may shunt the Premier League side out of the equation.
The report explains that Spurs were due to get a percentage of any deal if Cardoso moved to a different club beyond a specific date in July.
However, Betis and Atletico could delay the official confirmation until late in July in order to ensure that the clause expires and Manuel Pellegrini’s men could keep the entire fee for the midfielder.
Tottenham could also miss out on another defensive midfield target
It has been widely reported that signing a top-class defensive midfielder is one of Thomas Frank’s priorities this summer.
However, after missing out on Cardoso, the Lilywhites are also on the verge of losing out in the race for another of their top targets.