In Atlético de Madrid, competition is increasingly intense, to the point where many of those footballers who were once undisputed starters are now limited to being substitutes. The usual starters have been relegated to the background, either because a new figure has emerged or because an injury has disrupted their plans at the club. This reason is the main factor among this group of players who no longer appear among the 11 chosen by Diego Pablo Simeone as frequently as before.
In the current season, players like Pablo Barrios or Rodrigo de Paul have settled into the team in a way that is both effective and surprising, being undisputed in the starting line-ups. In the case of Rodrigo de Paul, his breakthrough in the red-and-white team has been complete, becoming the master of the midfield for several months. Moreover, Simeone seems to have found the ideal partner in the center, focusing on a LaLiga player whose signing by Atlético is complicated but not ruled out.
Various Difficulties
The man the red-and-whites are drooling over is Johnny Cardoso, who has been playing for Betis for several seasons. Cardoso is one of the key names in Sevilla, where his great performance has elevated him to the point of being sought after by half of Europe, including clubs like Atlético. However, the American is a player the green-and-whites want to nurture and keep in the team given his importance in the overall dynamics.
Even so, Cardoso seems to want to leave the club, receiving interest from teams like Atlético or Madrid to process his signing, seeing this favorably. The American remains a diamond in the rough who would fit perfectly under Simeone's orders in the midfield, where there is currently a lot of competition for playing time. Pending the possibility of acquiring his services, the red-and-whites are cautious and know that it will not be easy to start conversations with them to process the player's signing.
Ambition and Complications
The signing of Cardoso would be an impressive reinforcement for a midfield already full of talent, with players like Rodrigo de Paul or Conor Gallagher at the forefront. Cardoso could be another link in the machinery that Atlético presents in its engine room, where the team's play has been brilliant in recent matches. Even so, the player is close to renewing with Betis, so the signing could be thwarted in this way.