Tottenham Hotspur did not want to sell young striker Will Lankshear permanently and were actually looking for loan moves, but when historic EFL Championship side Middlesborough were so smitten with the No. 9 that they offered a total package of 20 million pounds, Spurs could not say no.
So Lankshear joins Luka Vuskovic as the latest Tottenham talent to leave the club this summer without truly getting his shot with the first team, but the road to a future at Tottenham is not as closed for the 21 year old forward.
Tottenham have a right of first refusal to match any future offer Middlesborough get, as they would also receive a 20 percent sell on bonus on any future sale of the talented forward. So maybe Lankshear's chapter at the club is not written yet.
Will Lankshear's story is not fully written
Speaking on the Last Word on Spurs show, journalist George Sessions of PA Sport stated that it would not surprise him if in two or three years, Will Lankshear were to return to Tottenham Hotspur to finish what he started and continue his journey at the club.
Funny enough, it has happened at other clubs before where a player was sold then bought back after becoming a bigger star, and Real Madrid, of all teams, have used this strategy quite well over the years, including with former Porto defensive midfielder Casemiro.
See, Tottenham know that Lankshear is not ready to be their main man and lead the line, and it is useless for him to sit behind Dominic Solanke or any other striker they were to sign in te summer 2026 transfer window for manager Roberto De Zerbi.
So for Spurs, the best thing to do is to let Lankshear go and not even loan him but sell him with the ability to bring him back at the market rate, provided he wants the return. Lankshear can freely play and develop in his new grounds without looking over his back, and if he impresses De Zerbi and the Spurs scouting team enough, they can bring him back for probably less than they would sign another talented young striker.
Now, the reality is that it is probably more likely Lankshear never goes back to Spurs, and he may never even be a Spurs quality striker, which is why he was sold in the first place. But fans can dream, and Lankshear is the kind of character they will be rooting for.
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