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Real Betis president Angel Haro has announced that Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement to sign Johnny Cardoso in the future, with the 22-year-old also hailed for his ‘extraordinary’ displays.

Tottenham and Betis were involved in two deals during the recently completed summer transfer window. Giovani Lo Celso left Tottenham on a permanent basis to re-join Betis, for whom he previously registered 16 goals and six assists in 45 outings.

Tottenham originally paid £27.2million to sign the attacking midfielder from Betis, but they had to take a financial hit when letting him go.

Late on transfer deadline day, Spurs confirmed that Lo Celso had headed back to the Spanish club, with the move understood to be worth £10m.

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Spurs and Betis have a good relationship and this allowed Ange Postecoglou’s side to get first refusal on a rising La Liga star.

Spurs have the priority to sign 22-year-old Betis midfielder Cardoso. The USA international only joined Betis in January but has already established himself as an important player in their side.

On Sunday, it emerged that Spurs can sign Cardoso for €25-30m (£21-25m / US$27-33m).

Betis chief Haro has now spoken about both the Lo Celso and Cardoso transfers in an interview with Mundo Deportivo. He said: “Johnny is a player that interests not only Tottenham, but many other teams, he has a great projection.

Tottenham latest: Betis confirm Johnny Cardoso clause

“In this case, within the Gio operation, they asked us for an option to buy for a value that for us was important and interesting and we gave them that option.”

Betis sporting director Manu Fajardo added: “Johnny’s performance is extraordinary. He’s going to bring a lot of joy to Beticismo. Tottenham has a purchase option in amounts that will satisfy Betis if they occur.”

European football expert Andy Brassell also gave his verdict on Cardoso over the weekend.

“The interesting thing is this [Lo Celso’s move] might help Tottenham negotiate an option, it seems, for Johnny Cardoso,” he said.

“Quite an interesting backstory, so he was born in the US to Brazilian parents but he moved back to Brazil when he was three or four months old. To all intents and purposes, he is a Brazilian player, he’s come through the system there before going over to Betis.

“Very popular, very energetic, you can imagine Cardoso working really well in the Premier League because he loves a tackle, he loves to get stuck in, so you can imagine him protecting that Tottenham defence going forward.”

Should Spurs activate their option to buy Cardoso, then the ex-Internacional star will compete with the likes of Yves Bissouma, Pape Sarr, Archie Gray and Rodrigo Bentancur for a starting spot in midfield.

The full details have emerged on Tottenham’s potential future capture of Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso following his involvement in Giovani Lo Celso’s return to the LaLiga club on deadline day.

Lo Celso signed a three-year deal to return to Betis on Friday for a bargain fee of €5million after the Argentine failed to convince Ange Postecoglou is he was worthy regular spot on the bench at the very best.

However, part of that deal saw Tottenham also have a special clause inserted to sign USA international Johnny Cardoso, who is regarded as one of Los Verdiblancos’ highest-value players.

Cardoso joined Betis from Internacional in January in a deal worth £5m (€6m, $6.6m) and, during his time in LaLiga, the defensive midfield pivot has shown himself to be a strong addition to the side.

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And now the details have been revealed over the future clause Tottenham have in place for the talented 22-year-old.

Reports from Spain claim that the clause is worth in the region of £21-25m (€25-30m, $27-33m), so Betis would have to accept this amount if Tottenham opt to take up their option. Furthermore, the clause is activated next summer but cannot go beyond September 2025, by which time it becomes redundant.

Cardoso tipped to be big hit at Tottenham

If Cardoso does indeed complete a switch to north London, European football expert Andy Brassell is convinced that Spurs will have done an excellent piece of business.

Speaking about Lo Celso’s return to Betis, Brassell described Cardoso as a player perfect for English football who could take his place in Tottenham’s midfield for years to come.

He said: “The interesting thing is this [Lo Celso’s move] might help Tottenham negotiate an option, it seems, for Johnny Cardoso.

“Quite an interesting backstory, so he was born in the US to Brazilian parents but he moved back to Brazil when he was three or four months old. To all intents and purposes, he is a Brazilian player, he’s come through the system there before going over to Betis.

“Very popular, very energetic, you can imagine Cardoso working really well in the Premier League because he loves a tackle, he loves to get stuck in, so you can imagine him protecting that Tottenham defence going forward.”

Adding Cardoso to the mix next summer would certainly give Ange Postecoglou another young option to call on his engine room, after the club brought in Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall over the summer.

Both Gray and Bergvall are yet to make their first starts in the Premier League for Spurs, but it’s a matter of when and not if that happens after the duo made such an impression during pre-season.

Tottenham are back in action on September 15 after the international break when they have the small matter of the first north London derby of the season at home to Arsenal.

Two Tottenham stars were accused of not doing their jobs properly after being at fault for Newcastle’s winner as Ange Postecoglou’s men suffered another defeat on Tyneside on Sunday.

St James’ Park has been an unhappy hunting ground for Spurs during the Premier League era, and so it proved again despite a largely dominant display against the hosts.

However, Tottenham failed to make the most of their chances again, as they had at Leicester in their away opener, and were made to pay when Alexander Isak netted the winner for Eddie Howe’s men.

Playing a high defensive line again, Sky Sports co-commentator Andy Hinchcliffe was particularly critical of Cristian Romero for ball-watching and Destiny Udogie for allowing Jacob Murphy to easily get in behind the defence.

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The pundit stressed the importance of Tottenham’s defenders maintaining awareness of their surroundings and positioning themselves better to counter potential threats.

Hinchcliffe said: “Defensively from Tottenham, this is just truly dreadful.

“Don’t ball-watch, you have to drop off. Romero just seems to be watching the ball, no idea where [Jacob] Murphy is, [Destiny] Udogie hasn’t tracked him in.

“It’s too easy for Murphy to get in behind that Tottenham back line.”

Tottenham trio in race to face Arsenal

The defensive issues that often plagued Tottenham again were once again in evidence at St James’ Park, although they were compounded by the loss of Micky van de Ven prior to the game.

Van de Ven jarred his knee against Everton but was then pictured in training before the trip to Newcastle. However, the centre-back sat out the game at Newcastle as Postecoglou was unwilling to risk the player given Romani international Radu Dragusin was ready to deputise.

Postecoglou said: “Micky was close in training this week but with the international break he’s not quite 100 per cent. Part of me was keen to give Radu a run, especially at this venue, so yeah we’re going with Radu today.”

Asked if it was disappointing, the manager replied: “No, not really. It’s nothing serious. We’ve got a heaped programme straight after the international break so we’re going to need all our back four. So getting Radu a game today I think is a positive thing for us.”

Van de Ven has now withdrawn from the Netherlands squad for the upcoming international break to focus on his recovery and there is every expectation he will be ready to face north London Arsenal in two weeks’ time.

Record signing Dominic Solanke was also missed on Tyneside after picking up an ankle injury against Leicester that has ruled him out for two games so far.

Speaking before the Newcastle trip, Postecoglou said: “Dom is close but we’re going to be a bit cautious with him, we’ve got a big programme post the international break, so he’ll miss out.”

Richarlison could face longer absence

Solanke is, however, expected to be fit to face Arsenal on September 15, which is great news for Postecoglou given that Richarlison could still be missing for the north London derby.

The Brazilian will have hoped to take advantage of Solanke’s absence but picked up an injury in training ahead of the Newcastle outing.

Postecoglou gave no exact timeline for Richarlison but, having not been called up by Brazil for the upcoming international break, he will remain at Hotspur Way to continue his rehabilitation.

The Australian told reporters on Friday: “The only other one we got midweek is Richarlison, who unfortunately picked up an injury in training, so he’ll probably miss the next few weeks.”

Tottenham did at least have key midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur available again over the weekend after he passed the concussion protocol, although he was only used from the bench against Newcastle.

The summer transfer window may now be shut in terms of the top European leagues but there is still the possibility of clubs selling and a Tottenham star is reportedly pushing for a switch to the Saudi Pro League.

Spurs are in the process of revamping their squad under Ange Postecoglou, with a plethora of ins and outs taking place over the course of the last couple of months.

The additions of the likes of Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert have impressed pundits and fans alike, while veteran stars like Eric Dier, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Ivan Perisic have all left in a clear strategy to bring down the average age of the squad.

Midfielder Giovani Lo Celso also departed on deadline day as he sealed a return to Real Betis after four years in north London, but there was disappointment for Sergio Reguilon.

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Spanish outlet AS reports that the full-back is still looking to leave Tottenham, with clubs in Turkey, Portugal and more intriguingly, Saudi Arabia all showing an interest in his services.

The Saudi Pro League remains an attractive option for players given the rewards on offer, with Ivan Toney swapping Brentford for Al-Ahli in a late deal.

Saudi clubs have also been tracking Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, who missed out on a move to Chelsea, but there could still be some incomings before their own window shuts on Monday September 2.

AS adds that Reguilon will be hoping one of the cash-rich Saudi clubs comes forward before their deadline after falling completely out of favour in north London.

The £27million defender made a bright start to life at Tottenham after his move from Real Madrid in 2020 but his form tailed off dramatically, leading to loans at Atletico Madrid, Manchester United and Brentford over the last two seasons.

Reguilon facing first-team exile at Tottenham

Reguilon is currently behind Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies in the left-back pecking order and has already been told he faces zero game time if he does not secure an exit.

Speaking about Lo Celso, before his move, and Reguilon at his Friday press conference for Newcastle, Postecoglou told reporters: “No, they don’t have to get integrated back into the squad. It’s their decision.

“It’s pretty clear where they sit in terms of where we are as a squad and where we are as a team, but, you know, I’ve never been one to force people out.

“They’ve got decisions about their own careers and what they want to do, and if they’re still here, they’re still here. We’ll work around that scenario, but it certainly won’t affect the way we work in the first team.”

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has revealed the signing he was “really keen on all summer” while also getting into the club’s plans for the January transfer window.

The north London have made a number of quality additions to their squad, with highly-rated youngsters Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert all coming in alongside new club-record signing Dominic Solanke.

And, speaking about Tottenham‘s business ahead of Sunday’s tough trip to Newcastle, Postecoglou revealed the one player he had his eyes on all summer long – exciting £25m signing Odobert.

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While speaking about former Burnley winger Odobert, the Australian admitted: “Wilson was great last week. I was wrapped to get him. He was one I was really keen on all summer.

”We had to be patient with him as the Dom Solanke deal went on a bit longer than we thought it would and we had to get that done first.

”He did great for us. It was his first game, as a 19-year-old, and he was exciting to watch. He will get more and more comfortable with us. I don’t mind players coming in early and us giving them exposure early as it gets it out of the way.”

Tottenham January planning already taking shape

As for the club’s plans going forward, Postecoglou admits that Spurs already have an idea of what they are going to do in January, adding: “You always do [plan ahead to January]. These things are a cycle. A lot of it is flawed because you just don’t know.

“We weren’t sure whether Lucas Bergvall would come straight into the first team or if we had to send him out on loan because he’s an 18-year-old player who has just played in the Swedish league, but we saw in the first couple of weeks of training that this guy will be an interesting player.

“How he develops, how Archie develops, how Wilson Odobert develops, all these kinds of things are factored into it. We know there are still some areas where I look at squad management where we can improve. Again, it’s got to be the right person – the right player, right person.

“[Technical director] Johan [Lange] and his team now have already started the process of looking at guys who maybe fit that profile of what we’re looking for and if they’re available in January like Radu was this year and we picked up Lucas last January, then we’ll move on it.

“It’s a constant process and it has to be that way. I’ve never done knee-jerk or a ‘hail Mary’ approach to things. Sometimes it’s necessary, I get that and it works, but I am much more comfortable when things are done through a process.”

In terms of the positions Tottenham might look to bolster in the new year, it’s expected that the club could explore a deal for another goalkeeper given that Fraser Forster’s deal will run out in the summer of 2025.

A new centre-back and central midfielder could also be on the cards, depending on what happens over the first half of the campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur have offloaded Giovani Lo Celso on a permanent basis, with the midfielder re-joining Real Betis in La Liga.

Lo Celso joined Tottenham from the Spanish side on an initial loan in August 2019. The move became permanent the following summer when Tottenham paid Betis just over £27million for his services.

Since then, the playmaker has gone on to register 10 goals and eight assists in 108 games for Tottenham, while also having two loan spells at Villarreal.

Lo Celso has now headed back to Spain once more, but this time with Betis, for whom he previously notched 16 goals and six assists in 45 appearances.

The Argentine has agreed a four-year deal with Betis, while they have paid Spurs £10m for his services.

The deal sees Spurs take a £17m hit on Lo Celso after he failed to live up to expectations while in North London.

The 28-year-old becomes the latest player to leave Spurs after being told he is not in Ange Postecoglou’s plans. A host of unwanted players had already departed the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before deadline day, including Emerson Royal, Tanguy Ndombele, Japhet Tanganga, Joe Rodon and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

In order to help Postecoglou’s side challenge for a top four place, Spurs have brought in Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert and Lucas Bergvall.

Tottenham are close to agreeing a deal to get future priority on the signing of Johnny Cardoso from Real Betis, in a move that is part of Giovani Lo Celso’s switch to the Spanish club.

The north London outfit have been pushing to offload Lo Celso all summer after it became clear that the Argentine is not part of Ange Postecoglou’s long-term plans.

Indeed, the arrivals of young midfield duo Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall clearly sent the message that Spurs were looking to move on from the two-time Copa America winner.

Lo Celso failed to cement a regular first-team spot under the likes of Jose Mourino, Antonio Conte and Postecoglou despite arriving in north London with a strong reputation.

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However, he now looks to be closing in on a switch back to his former club Real Betis, although it looks as if Tottenham will secure another young talent as part of that deal.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Spurs are close to reaching a “priority” agreement to sign Cardoso from Betis in future.

Cardoso branded a ‘rare’ talent’

Romano adds that Tottenham will also “buy a percentage” of any cash Real Betis receive from selling Cardoso to another club in future – in case Spurs decide against signing the United States international later down the line.

The 22-year-old, who is a defensive midfielder, made 17 appearances in LaLiga for Real Betis last season, scoring one goal while also providing two assists.

Cardoso has also won 15 caps for the United States, with The Athletic describing the midfielder as “rare combination of physicality, intelligence and grace”.

Eventually adding Cardoso to their ranks would certainly be in keeping with Tottenham’s recent transfer business, with Postecoglou bringing down the average age of his squad dramatically over the summer.

Ange Postecoglou has given his verdict on whether Tottenham will be able to pull off some late deadline day business after a largely successful window so far.

The north London club having made a number of quality additions over the last couple of months, bringing in the likes of Archie Gray, Dominic Solanke, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert.

However, there remain rumours that a late swoop for a new backup goalkeeeper, midfielder and centre-back could be on the cards if the right opportunity presents itself.

And Postecoglou revealed as much at his presser for Sunday’s always tough trip to Newcastle for Tottenham, although he does feel like he’s already been backed by the club’s board with the business done this season.

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He told reporters: “Unless something surprising jumps out at us in the last 11 hours or whatever it is, that’s it for us.

“Yeah. Yeah [I’ve felt backed]. Well, [targeting younger players] was definitely part of my plan because I think when you’re trying to build or rebuild a team, you’ve got to…look, all managers hope they’re there for the long-term, but the reality is that you don’t know how long you’ll be there, but I’ve always tried to build teams that will last over a cycle which is, you know, three, four, five years.

“It’s just a natural consequence of that. You’re looking at a younger demographic, a team that will grow, that will improve, that will adapt to the challenges ahead. So, like I said, when I got here it was a team that, even from a demographic point point of view, looked like it was at the end of a cycle.

“A lot of players who had had great careers but were either ready to move on or getting to the end of it. So that combination with a different approach for me, it was definitely part of it to go younger.”

Tottenham, meanwhile, are still weighing up some potential exits, with Giovani Lo Celso and Sergio Reguilon the likeliest to move on before the window shuts as Postecoglou admits the club are “exploring their options”.

However, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Spurs are currently unhappy with the conditions of Lo Celso’s return to Real Betis.

With his contract running out in less than 12 months, Tottenham want to sanction his departure before the end of the transfer window in order to recoup some sort of transfer fee.

But as the clock ticks down to 11pm, it looks increasingly unlikely that they will be able to get a permanent transfer done.

Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are among the clubs who have missed out on Lutsharel Geertruida, with RB Leipzig poised to sign the Netherlands star.

Geertruida has emerged into one of the most coveted players in the Eredivisie in recent years. He is versatile and can shine either in central defence or at right-back.

The 24-year-old was a crucial part of Arne Slot’s Feyenoord side which won the Dutch title in the 2022-23 season, while he also managed a hugely impressive nine goals and five assists from 47 games in defence last term.

Geertruida’s excellent performances for Feyenoord have seen him force his way into the Dutch national team and also emerge as a target for top clubs.

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Liverpool were swiftly linked with Geertruida after announcing Slot as their new head coach, though Reds sporting director Richard Hughes had different targets in mind.

Aston Villa admire Geertruida and have had him on their shortlist since July, while Tottenham have also been weighing up whether to launch a bid for the player.

However, both of those Premier League sides look set for disappointment. Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Leipzig are on the verge of capturing Geertruida first.

The transfer has been given his ‘here we go’ confirmation, with a ‘flight booked’ and a medical scheduled for Friday, transfer deadline day.

Tottenham transfers: Lutsharel Geertruida heads elsewhere

Leipzig have agreed a deal worth more than €25million (£21m) to sign the Rotterdam-born ace.

The Bundesliga side have moved quickly to bring Geertruida in after allowing current defender Mohamed Simakan to move on.

Both Liverpool and Newcastle United have looked into capturing Simakan amid uncertainty surrounding Marc Guehi, but the Frenchman will actually be heading to Saudi Arabia instead.

Al-Nassr are close to signing Simakan for €45m (£37.8m), in a move which will see the 24-year-old play alongside Manchester United and Real Madrid icon Cristiano Ronaldo.

Leipzig have been tipped to replace Simakan with Benfica starlet Antonio Silva in a surprise twist, but Romano states that was never a real possibility.

Instead, once they learned that Simakan wanted to move on, Leipzig installed Geertruida as their No 1 target to strengthen their defensive options.

It will be interesting to see whether Spurs or Liverpool come back in for Geertruida in the future, should he impress for Leipzig.

After all, Leipzig often sell their best players to help them continue signing the best young talents around, and both Spurs and Liverpool have used this to their advantage in the past.

Plus, Slot knows Geertruida very well and would be able to ensure he gets the best out of him, should an Anfield switch be completed.

Nottingham Forest are in for a frantic deadline day as they look to complete a deal for Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, per reports.

The Egyptian international is rated highly in Germany and scored an impressive 17 goals across all competitions last season, as well as contributing six assists.

Marmoush, 25, generally plays as a striker but can also feature as a winger on either flank when required.

His pace, versatility and agility have caught the attention of multiple clubs. Tottenham were linked with Marmoush earlier this summer but they decided against a bid for him.

Nottingham Forest are now pushing to get a deal done for Marmoush and according to Bundesliga transfer journalist Florian Plettenberg they’ve already had two bids rejected for him.

Plettenberg claims that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have now submitted a third bid worth between €20m and €25m (£16.8m to £21m) but that falls short of Frankfurt’s valuation.

The German club would prefer to keep Marmoush, who was their top scorer last season, and therefore will only entertain offers in the €30m (£25.2m) range.

Frankfurt signed Marmoush on a free transfer last summer in what has proven to be a fantastic bit of business.

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Frankfurt rival Nott’m Forest for Roma star

Marmoush could become Forest’s 10th signing of the summer if they increase their bid, but whether they do so still remains to be seen.

Nuno is still keen to bolster other areas of his squad though, and admitted as much following their loss to Newcastle on penalties on Wednesday night.

“It’s all about the profile of the player, it’s not easy but we as a club are working to bring in some players,” the Forest boss said.

“It’s about taking our time and not making any mistakes.”

Forest are also keen to strengthen in the midfield department and Roma centre-mid Edoardo Bove has emerged as a target in recent days.

Everton have also been linked with the 22-year-old but they have opted to move for former Tricky Trees star Orel Mangala instead.

However, according to journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Frankfurt have made a late attempt to hijack Forest’s move for Bove.

He claims that the German side are now ‘ahead’ for Forest in the race for Bove, but the Premier League club aren’t out of it yet.

Frankfurt want to sign Bove on loan and want to include an option to buy in the agreement, whereas Forest are pursuing a permanent deal.

Meanwhile, Forest are also looking to bring in a new goalkeeper and per the Daily Mail, they are considering a shock move for Bournemouth’s Neto.

The Cherries have signed Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan from Chelsea and therefore, could be open to offloading Neto.