It’s been an interesting start to the campaign for Tottenham Hotspur this season.
Ange Postecoglou’s side have been flawless in the League Cup and Europa League, but have looked a little disjointed in the Premier League.
However, given that it’s only the Australian’s second year in charge, these issues shouldn’t come as a surprise, and with a few more transfer windows under his belt, he could have the personnel to match his game plans.
In fact, based on recent reports, the club look set to sign a dream midfield addition next year, although that could be bad news for Yves Bissouma.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Spain, Tottenham are expected to sign Real Betis star Johnny Cardoso in 2025.
The report claims that the Lilywhites had a €25m – £21m – option to buy the American included in the deal that saw Giovani Lo Celso return to Betis in the summer.
However, Daniel Levy and Co will have to act fast if they want to bring the midfielder to N17, as the story also claims that the option expires in either late June or early July and, after that, the La Liga side will be able to demand whatever price they want.
With that said, by all accounts, this looks like a transfer that will happen, so the Spurs faithful likely have nothing to worry about, although given how well he’s played in Spain, Bissouma should be a little concerned, as the American could be his upgrade.
How Cardoso compares to Bissouma
Okay, so if Spurs act on their option to sign Cardoso, as expected, the fact that he primarily plays as a defensive and central midfielder means he’d likely compete with Bissouma for a place in the starting lineup.
So, with that in mind, how do the pair stack up against one another? Well, when it comes down to the pair’s raw output this season, the Mali international comes out on top with two goals to the American’s zero, but at the end of the day, goals aren’t what make a good holding midfielder, and when we look at their underlying numbers, it’s a very different story.
For example, while the Spurs ace has better passing numbers, the Betis star comes out miles ahead in the majority of relevant defensive metrics, including tackles, shots and passes blocked, clearances, interceptions, ball recoveries and aerial duels, all per 90, which is what you want from your six.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.24
0.11
Progressive Passes
4.04
7.00
Progressive Passes Received
1.49
0.00
Passing Accuracy
82.0%
90.7%
Tackles
2.77
2.75
Shots Blocked
0.64
0.25
Passes Blocked
1.28
0.75
Interceptions
2.13
1.00
Clearances
2.98
2.75
Ball Recoveries
6.17
3.25
Aerial Duels Won
1.06
0.25
Moreover, something that the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace was guilty of last season was picking up unnecessary red cards, and when we compare the pair’s disciplinary record, the 23-year-old “ball winner”, as he was dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, once again comes out on top.
For example, in his 10281 minutes of football across his career to date, the former Internacional gem has picked up 22 yellow cards, averaging one every 467 minutes, and zero red cards or second yellows.
In contrast, the Issia-born Lilywhites man has picked up 58 yellow cards in his 16799 minutes of football, equating to an average of one every 289 minutes, and four red cards – including one-second yellow – which works out as one every 4199 minutes.
Ultimately, Bissouma is a talented footballer, and one who should be playing in the Premier League, but his defensive numbers are notably worse than Cardoso’s, and when we take into account the disciplinary side of things as well, the American looks like he’d be an ideal upgrade.
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