Manchester United are also interested in Johnny Cardoso
Johnny Cardoso helped Real Betis defeat Real Valladolid 5-1 in La Liga yesterday. The USMNT midfielder has become a key player for Betis this season as they aim to secure qualification for the Champions League.
Cardoso has attracted interest from Premier League sides Chelsea, AFC Bournemouth, and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Tottenham Hotspur is also an option, and they can buy the player for £21 million this summer. Now, Cardoso is being linked with another team from the top flight of English soccer.
Sam Cohen of the United Stand fan channel posted 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."
United are one of the biggest clubs in the world. However, they have not been the force that they once were for a while now. The Red Devils will also be without European soccer next season unless they win the Europa League. Therefore, Cardoso should think twice if he has the opportunity to join Ruben Amorim's side.
PSV's Malik Tillman linked with Chelsea
Malik Tillman has impressed in the Eredivisie this season, scoring nine goals and providing one assist in 22 games for PSV Eindhoven. This is despite the midfielder missing part of the campaign due to a leg injury. The USMNT player proved himself in the Dutch league and the Scottish Premiership when he was on loan at Rangers, but it could now be time for him to try out the Premier League.
The Chelsea Blogger Simon Phillips published an article on Substack linking Tillman with Enzo Maresca's side.
Tillman had a taste of playing in one of Europe's top divisions when he was at Bayern Munich. However, he was only given four games to prove himself in the Bundesliga. Moving to Chelsea may not be the best move for Tillman, though, as he plays in the same position as Cole Palmer. Therefore, the American would likely struggle for game time at Stamford Bridge.
Tottenham Hotspur want Mauricio Pochettino back
Mauricio Pochettino's start as USMNT head coach has not gone to plan. His side was heavily criticised for their performances in the recent CONCACAF Nations League fixtures, where they lost to Panama and Canada. This is worrying with the United States co-hosting the World Cup next year.
Former USMNT manager Bruce Arena has questioned whether Pochettino is the right man for the job on Tim Howard's and Landon Donovan's Unfiltered Soccer podcast, saying, "when you have coaches that don't know our culture, our environment, our players, it's hard. I'm sure our coach is a very good coach, but coaching international football is different than club football, it's a completely different job."
Pochettino has also expressed his desire to return to Tottenham Hotspur one day. TBR Football has now reported that he is "very much in contention to return to the club to replace Ange Postecoglou." The current Tottenham manager is expected to leave the club at the end of the season, even if he guides them to winning the Europa League.
Despite the USMNT's recent poor form, it would still be a huge surprise if U.S. Soccer allowed Pochettino to return to Spurs. The organisation wasted a lot of time in the recruitment process before rehiring Gregg Berhalter, only to sack him after a disappointing Copa America last year. Therefore, they cannot be seen to make another wrong appointment.