Diego Simeone wants to sign Johnny Cardoso
Johnny Cardoso was left out of Real Betis' roster yesterday for their 1-1 draw with Valencia, which was their final La Liga game of the season. The USMNT midfielder had suffered a knock, and Manuel Pellegrini would have been saving him for the Europa Conference League final against Chelsea next Wednesday.
The final at the Stadion Miejski could be Johnny's final game for Betis. Relevo has reported (translated from Spanish) that Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone, "who initially had doubts, has indeed given the green light to a possible signing of Cardoso."
Tottenham Hotspur have the option to sign Johnny for €25 million this summer. However, it remains to be seen if the Europa League winners will take this up. Despite ending Spurs' 17-year trophy drought, Ange Postecoglou's future as their manager is in doubt due to poor Premier League form.
Christian Pulisic opts out of USMNT duty
Christian Pulisic is regarded as the USMNT's talisman, and he has the nickname "Captain America" to prove it. However, the AC Milan player has opted out of representing the USMNT at the Gold Cup this summer.
U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said on the federation's website, "Christian and his team approached the Federation and the coaching staff about the possibility of stepping back this summer, given the amount of matches he has played in the past two years at both the club and international level with very little break.
"After thoughtful discussions and careful consideration, we made the collective decision that this is the right moment for him to get the rest he needs. The objective is to ensure he’s fully prepared to perform at the highest level next season."
This is not ideal for Mauricio Pochettino not to have Pulisic on his roster as they prepare for a home World Cup next year. The USMNT is also missing Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah due to their participation in the Club World Cup.
Richy Ledezma is set to sign for Chivas
Richy Ledezma, along with his USMNT teammates Ricardo Pepi, Malik Tillman and Sergiño Dest, helped PSV Eindhoven win the Eredivisie this season. However, despite playing 38 games in all competitions for the Dutch side this campaign, Ledezma is set to return across the Atlantic Ocean.
According to GIVEMESPORT, "Ledezma has received his Mexican passport, clearing the way for him to sign with Chivas. The deal is all agreed for Ledezma to join on a free transfer this summer when his contract with PSV expires.
"Chivas have a policy to only sign players with Mexican citizenship. The passport also opens the possibility for Ledezma to play for the Mexican national team. Ledezma was left off the USMNT's Gold Cup roster this summer and has had contact with the Mexican federation this spring."
Ledezma has just one cap for the USMNT, which came back in 2020. Therefore, it could be a good move for him to switch his international allegiance to Mexico, especially if he will now be playing in Liga MX.