Premier League clubs are ready to pounce if Tottenham decide to let young forward Will Lankshear leave this summer.
Lankshear returns to Tottenham as clubs circle
Lankshear, 21, finished off a superb loan spell at relegated Oxford with a 47th appearance for the Championship side in Saturday’s 2-0 loss at Millwall.
While Lankshear was unable to keep Oxford up, the England Under-21 striker scored 12 goals and provided four assists during a successful season-long loan to catch the eye of numerous clubs in England and abroad.
Former Arsenal youngster Lankshear is due to return to Hotspur Way at some point over the next week for end-of-season testing before a well-earned rest.
Any decision on Lankshear’s long-term future at Tottenham will not take place until there is clarity over which division the club will be in for the 2026-27 campaign, but there is optimism about his prospects under Roberto De Zerbi.
Spurs boss De Zerbi handed debuts to numerous young players at Brighton, including Evan Ferguson.
Ferguson scored 11 goals in De Zerbi’s first season at the Seagulls as a teenager and is a similar profile to Lankshear, who has developed physically in the Championship and broken his top speed on multiple occasions.
Antonio Conte was the first Tottenham head coach to work with Lankshear after his arrival from Sheffield United in 2022 and gave him a debut in a friendly fixture with Nice after the winter World Cup.
However, Ange Postecoglou presented Lankshear with his breakthrough during the 2024-25 campaign and the all-action forward scored on an eventful night against Galatasaray in the Europa League where he silenced the Rams Park crowd before he earned an unfortunate second yellow card.
Lankshear then scored the first goal of the ill-fated Thomas Frank era at Spurs last July in a friendly at Reading before he was sent on loan to Oxford despite other Championship options.
De Zerbi demands Palhinha signing
With questions surrounding the futures of several players, De Zerbi issued a public rallying cry to sign Joao Palhinha on a permanent basis during his pre-Leeds press conference.
Spurs have a €25m (£21.5m) option to sign the Portgual international this summer following the end of his loan spell.
"100 per cent. We have to start from this type of people," the manager said (via Alasdair Gold).
"More than players, we need reliable people and players and Palhinha is one of the best, as a player for sure but as a guy.
"I want to see players have the same personality, attitude and spirit and we're lucky to have him."
Palhinha has played 30 times in the Premier League this season, scoring four times, including a dramatic winner at Wolves.
Labelled "one of the best off the ball" by Tom Cairney during their time together at Fulham, the 30 year-old's 3.3 tackles per game are the most in the top flight this season.