Tottenham, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and the six best landing spots for USMNT midfielder Johnny Cardoso in transfer window

Well, this one we know. It was reported in September that as part of the deal that sent Gio Lo Celso to Real Betis that the London club had negotiated a purchase-clause for Cardoso, set at $33M. There are some technicalities here. The clause only applies for the first two weeks of the summer window; after that the price is whatever Betis deem an agreeable offer. Spurs also don't have to activate it.

A few months ago, that might have not been a problem. But the London club face a bit of an uncertain window. Injuries have hit Ange Postecoglu's side hard this season, with center midfielders forced to play at center back. Right now, they don't really have a reliable fit No. 6 in their ranks.

Cardoso might be the solution to that problem. He has the body type for the Premier League, and is certainly a more refined player than youngster Lucas Bergvall. At the very least, he might be an agreeable stop-gap - with solid long-term potential.

This is all contingent on a lot of things going right - and a few going wrong. Arsenal spent big last summer, reinforcing at left back and central midfield. At full strength, their best three - Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard - can match any trio the English top flight has to offer. But there are a few issues here.

The first is that those three have rarely seen the pitch together. Injuries have hit Merino and Odegaard hard this season. The second is the harsh reality of multiple competitions mean that Arsenal badly need depth. There are answers here in Thomas Partey and Joginho. But they have tried to part ways with Partey before, while Jorginho is only on a short term deal.

So, if Partey goes, enter Cardoso. Perhaps it is not in his interest to be a reliable backup for a Premier League title-contending team - he may want more minutes elsewhere. But if the pieces fall into place, Arsenal certainly might have the need for a reliable center mid who could offer some long term upside.

If Spurs don't exercise their option, and the Premier League is his goal, then this whole thing reeks of an Unai Emery signing. Villa have an interesting group of players in midfield, but could really use a tempo setting player to bring it all together. Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara are both skilled footballers in their own right, but they don't have the same "pausa" as Cardoso, who could be an absolute dream in the middle orchestrating on the counter.

There are some similarities between Cardoso and Dani Parejo, who Emery developed into a fine playmaker at Villarreal. Cardoso isn't yet on that level, but could be under the right manager. Who better than the man who has done it all before to show him the ropes?

And now for the opposite option. In Cardoso, Emery might see a playmaking midfielder with considerable potential, who could become an elite No. 6 at the base of a finely-balanced midfield. Get this right, and Cardoso could be a Spanish midfielder in the wrong body.

Or, there's the other option. The evil one, that throws notions of control, finesse and elegance to the wind. Instead, Cardoso could be tailormade for Atletico Madrid. This one would be admittedly less fun from a footballing perspective, but perhaps just as impactful.

The first thing that needs acknowledging with this fit is that Cardoso is big at 6-1. The second is that he's surprisingly athletic. And the third is that Atleti manager Diego Simeone loves big, athletic midfielders who can also move the ball. See this all coming together?

This would mean developing a different kind of player entirely. Forget aesthetics, Atleti are about disclipline and dark arts. Simeone wants work-rate machines, warriors at the heart of the pitch. And for all of the talk about his technical quality, Cardoso does have some bite to him. Throw in the fact that Koke, Atleti's long-time center midfielder is into his 30s, and Cardoso could be an intriguing fit alongside Conor Gallagher and Rodrigo De Paul.

Cardoso should be treated as more than an obvious replacement for another footballer. He possesses his own skillset, and despite playing at a premium position, shouldn't be expected to simply duplicate the quality of someone else. It is with that caveat that we arrive at the Real Sociedad possibility.

Liverpool tried to steal their star defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi last summer, only for the player to turn down a move to the Premier League. But talk of a departure hasn't stalled. There is a suggestion that Man City are interested. Arsenal are reportedly looking into securing his services. Should that noise continue, it's hard to see him staying at the club beyond the summer.

In Zubimendi, La Real have an elite defensive midfielder. He can tackle, pass, dribble and dictate space wonderfully. Throw in the Spanish nationality, and the comparisons with Sergio Busquets are all-too-juicy. It would not be a fun job to walk into his role, especially after the La Liga lost another key piece in Merino last summer.

But Cardoso certainly has the individual quality and understanding of the league to make it work - or at least offer cover and grow. Betis might be reluctant to sell to a league rival, but if the money is there, Cardoso could be a solid fit.

The surprise of last year's La Liga season have continued to chug along. Manager Michel may have lost some key pieces in Savinho and Aleix Garcia, but the City Group-backed Catalonian club are once again in with a shout of European qualification - which would be yet another fine achievement for a small-town team. Their center midfield corps, though, is a real weakness.

Former Man United man Donny van de Beek runs hot and cold. Ivan Martin has been excellent at times, but may also leave. Outside of those two, the Catalonian club sorely lack depth. Cardoso could be a good fit here, too.

If Michel is married to his double pivot, then Cardoso would be an agreeable backup until the right moment comes - or even force his way into the XI. The issue here is that Girona will likely want to make use of the CFG network, where they can get better value for money deals. Still, this could be an intriguing fit.