Johnny Cardoso to Barcelona?! USMNT midfielder earning rave reviews in La Liga as he fights for Copa America starting spot

Born in New Jersey to Brazilian parents, Cardoso spent nearly all of his life in his family's homeland. He moved back to South America at three months old, and, prior to January's big move, developed his game in one of the most competitive soccer countries on the planet.

After stints with Avai and Criciuma, Cardoso joined the academy of Internacional, rising all the way to the first team. He made his professional debut in 2019, and never really left the starting line up after properly breaking through in 2020. He played at least 22 league matches in each of his final three seasons with the club, while also featuring 11 teams in the Copa Libertadores in 2023.

Throughout that year, the American midfielder was linked with a move to Betis. A proposed summer transfer didn't come to fruition, but the Spanish side came right back in for Cardoso in January. They paid a reported fee of $6.3 million to sign the USMNT midfielder, and what a bargain that is looking like just a few months later.

It took no time for Cardoso to prove himself with Betis. He was named La Liga's Under-23 Player of the Month in February, and his momentum hasn't slowed down in the weeks since.

Playing under ex-Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini, Cardoso has established himself as one of the league's top midfielders. In fact, defensively, there may not be a better midfielder in Spain. He's in the 99th percentile for interceptions, 96th percentile for clearances and 95th percentile for aerials won. He's also in the 88th percentile for tackles, but he's not just limited to defending; you can find him in the 71st percentile for passing percentage, too.

In addition to his midfield work, he's also provided two assists and a goal. That goal came against Athletic Club, a stunning long-range effort in February's 3-1. win.

In all facets, Cardoso has been a revelation in La Liga, and Europe's top clubs have taken notice.

It seems that Cardoso could be in La Liga for a long time, but his stay with Real Betis may be short. Diario De Sevilla reported that both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are chasing the USMNT midfielder, and that both clubs have reached out to his representatives in recent weeks. Cardoso reportedly has a release clause of €80m (£68m/$85m), but Betis would be willing to accept a bid of around €30m (£25m/$32m) if it arrived.

Barca and Atleti aren't the only clubs interested, though. The report adds that Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are also looking at Cardoso, with both Bundesliga teams having also been in contact with Cardoso's entourage. Premier League clubs and teams in Serie A are also keeping an eye on Cardoso, who looks like he'll be a wanted man this summer.

A potential transfer isn't the only thing on Cardoso's agenda in the coming months, though, as the midfielder will have one eye on the USMNT squad for the Copa America.

Cardoso has been in and around the USMNT for years. He made his debut in 2020 and, at just 22, already has 11 caps to his name. However, it's never really felt like he's gotten a consistent run of games. It's been an appearance here and there, as he he has started just twice in his grand total of 315 minutes. So, in some ways, the midfielder is still somewhat unproven at international level.

The reason Cardoso has never quite gotten a USMNT shot? The USMNT's established MMA midfielder of Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams is all but locked in when healthy. That trio were fantastic in the lead up to and during the 2022 World Cup, and it makes no sense to break up a good thing.

USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter could be forced into some changes, though, and Cardoso could certainly be the answer he's looking for.

Since the 2022 World Cup, Adams has played just two games for the USMNT. Granted, those two games were incredible, headlined by his long-range missile against Mexico, but it's still only two games.

Heading into this summer's Copa America, there are very real questions about the midfielder's fitness. He's played just 109 Premier League minutes for Bournemouth this season and hasn't featured since March 30. He remains out with back spasms with just two games remaining in the Premier League campaign.

Even if Adams does recover in time for those games, there's almost no chance he'll be sharp by the time the Copa America gets going. Having first gone down with a hamstring injury while at Leeds in March 2023, he has barely played in over year due to his various injuries.

Enter Cardoso. If the USMNT needs a more defensive presence in the midfield, they could do much worse than the Real Betis man. Whether as a starter or off the bench, Cardoso could step in next to, say, McKennie to offer defensive support to the USMNT midfield. It's not ideal, but Cardoso could very well be the guy to fill the Adams role this summer.

Ahead of the Copa America, Cardoso and Real Betis have plenty to fight for. They'll be battling right up until the very end as the club eyes a return to European soccer.

Having earned continental spots in each of the last two seasons, Real Betis can make it three straight if all goes well in these final weeks. With four games remaining, they sit seventh, just two points behind Real Sociedad for a Europa Conference League spot. Those two sides will face off on May 19 after Betis takes on Almeria and Las Palmas in the next week, and it may be that game that decides Cardoso and Co.'s fates. They won't want to leave it until the last week, either, as they head to champions Real Madrid to close the campaign.

Betis will feel confident. After dropping four straight in a miserable March, Betis are unbeaten in their last four, picking up three wins in that span. And if Cardoso can help them keep winning midfield battles, they'll be on their way.

After that, who knows what happens? These could be Cardoso's final weeks in a Betis shirt. If it is, he'll have launched his career into a new stratosphere, continuing a rise that has no end in sight.