Manchester United are reportedly considering a swoop for Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso ahead of the summer transfer window.
United are bracing for a busy window, with a number of positions in need of urgent strengthening. Christian Eriksen is expected to leave upon the expiry of his contract in June while there is also uncertainty over the future of Casemiro despite his resurgence in the past few games.
Some of the midfielders mentioned to be on United’s radar include Ederson (Atalanta), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig), Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland) and Chris Rigg (Sunderland), just to mention a few names.
Now, Sam Cohen, a relatively reliable source on United news, claims that Cardoso is another player who is of interest to the Red Devils.
Cohen wrote on X, “Manchester United have in recent weeks been scouting Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso.”
“The 23-year-old has featured in 24 matches this season, registering 3 goals and 1 assist from midfield.”
“Real Betis currently have Antony on loan from United, and while no formal approach has been made yet, it remains to be seen whether any potential interest in Cardoso could pave the way for a swap deal involving the Brazilian winger.”
Cohen notes that Wolves attempted to tempt Betis with a £20m offer for Cardoso in January but the Spanish outfit rebuffed their offer as they didn’t want to sell.
Wolves put together a formula of around 20m to Real Betis to try strike a deal for Johnny Cardoso In the January window, but Real Betis told the English club they didn’t want to sell.
— Sam C (@SamC_reports) April 24, 2025
Tottenham Hotspur are another Premier League team that have been mentioned to be keen on landing the USMNT star.
It’s easy to see why teams retain an admiration for Cardoso. He is a hardworking and intelligent midfielder who reads the game very well. He primarily plays in the defensive midfielder role but can also be deployed to great effect in a slightly advanced position.
He is a physically dominant and boasts a brilliant long passing range. Cardoso is incredibly smooth on the ball, consistently finding his teammates with effortless precision.
At 23, he also has a lot of time and room for improvement, which adds to his appeal.
Featured image Alex Caparros via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
