Tottenham Hotspur have rejected three separate proposals for young striker Will Lankshear in recent days, according to football.london.
Lankshear impressed on loan in the Championship last season, scoring 11 goals for Oxford United, who were relegated to League One. This exceptional return for a dysfunctional team has prompted widespread interest from a host of clubs in England's second division, as well as from abroad.
Sporting CP, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton have reportedly approached Spurs about signing Lankshear, and all three clubs have been swiftly turned down.
It's not yet clear whether the North London club will sanction the 21-year-old's departure this summer, although the prolific number nine is expected to be given a chance to impress Roberto De Zerbi during pre-season, before a definitive decision on his future is made.
Tottenham's valuation of Will Lankshear has not yet been met
It's thought that Tottenham's initial plan for Lankshear was to loan him out again for the duration of the 2026/27 season, to allow him to continue developing further before blooding him in the Premier League.
However, after enjoying such a promising temporary stint at Oxford, Spurs are seemingly having second thoughts. While a permanent departure or even another loan haven't been entirely ruled out yet, Spurs are understood to be contemplating using the England under-20 international next term.
Sporting, Wolves and Southampton have all reached out to the Premier League outfit in recent days about signing Lankshear. football.london suggest that offers in the eight-figure package range were suggested, but Tottenham weren't willing to sanction any of the prospective deals.
De Zerbi and his squad fly out to New Zealand and Australia for their summer tour next week, and the Italian is set to take a closer look at the centre-forward to get a sense of what he's dealing with.
What ultimately happens with Lankshear likely depends on how much he impresses De Zerbi and also how the player's potential suitors respond to their initial approaches being rejected. It will reportedly take a sizeable offer for Spurs to entertain selling him permanently.
Tottenham still want to sign a striker this summer
Another factor which will likely influence Lankshear's future is Spurs' pursuit of a striker. De Zerbi is understood to be keen on adding a new number nine to his ranks this summer, with Richarlison's future uncertain as he enters the final 12 months of his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Junior Kroupi has been heavily linked with a switch to Spurs, and the Frenchman is seemingly the Lilywhites' primary target in this position.