Middlesbrough appear to have won the race for the highly-touted striker
Middlesbrough are in advanced talks to sign Will Lankshear from Tottenham Hotspur in a permanent deal after securing a major transfer breakthrough.
Lankshear has been a player Boro have been monitoring for a number of years and they are understood to be close to beating a number of clubs to win his signature this summer.
Lankshear is known to have had numerous Championship clubs interested this summer. But Boro are now advancing a deal with Spurs and appear to have won the race for the highly-coveted young star.
They are understood to have made an enquiry to sign him in January too. At that time, however, Lankshear opted to stay and honour his loan agreement at Oxford United. And despite the U’s relegation from the Championship, the 21-year-old striker saw his stock rise as he netted 12 goals and registered four assists.
Signing a new striker was one of a number of top priorities for Boro this season, as a lack of goals proved costly in their failed bid for promotion last season.
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David Strelec has started the summer strongly, with three goals in the first two friendlies, but Kaly Sene rarely featured after Kim Hellberg’s arrival, while Tommy Conway was preferred out wide.
Lankshear will represent a different profile of centre forward, with the number nine noted for his strong finishing, physicality and hold-up play.
Boro are pushing to try and add a number of new players to their squad ahead of the new season. Lankshear is now likely to become signing number three, after the previous arrivals of versatile forwards Myles Peart-Harris and Kyle Joseph.
Boro still want at least one more forward, two central midfielders, a centre-back, left-back and goalkeeper.
Middlesbrough are preparing for a big summer as they look to rebuild from the heartarche of missing out on promotion to the Premier League.
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