Tottenham youngster Will Lankshear is attracting growing Premier League interest after an outstanding loan spell at Oxford United, with clubs in England and abroad now monitoring his situation ahead of the summer.
A major reason behind Tottenham Hotspur’s current struggles has been poor squad planning. After several seasons of questionable recruitment and decision-making, Spurs will hope they avoid repeating those same mistakes this summer, particularly with a number of talented youngsters returning from loan spells.
Roberto De Zerbi and the Tottenham hierarchy now face huge decisions over whether those players should be integrated into the first team or moved on permanently.
One player who has certainly strengthened his case is Will Lankshear. The young striker returns from an impressive spell at Oxford United, where he registered 21 goal contributions during the campaign, which include a few absolute screamers too.
Lankshear first broke into Tottenham’s first-team picture under Antonio Conte, but it was during Ange Postecoglou’s reign that he truly caught attention, particularly after scoring against Galatasaray in a hostile Europa League atmosphere last season.
He also made headlines earlier this season by scoring the first goal of the short-lived Thomas Frank era during a pre-season friendly against Reading.
Will Lankshear attracting strong interest after Oxford United loan
Thomas Frank ultimately decided that Will Lankshear would struggle for minutes given the competition already available in attack. With Dominic Solanke, Richarlison, Randal Kolo Muani and Dane Scarlett all ahead of him, the striker was sent on loan to Oxford United for regular football.
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The move quickly paid off as Lankshear scored three goals in his opening five matches and soon attracted interest from Middlesbrough during the January window. However, the Tottenham youngster chose to remain at Oxford in order to help them in their fight against relegation.
The striker went on to earn the trust of manager Matt Bloomfield and ended the campaign with both Oxford’s Young Player of the Year award and the club’s Golden Boot.
Unfortunately, his efforts were not enough to keep Oxford in the Championship, with the club suffering relegation on the final day of the season.
Now, according to the Press Association, several clubs in England and abroad are monitoring Lankshear ahead of the summer transfer window.
However, the report adds that Tottenham will not make any decision on the striker’s long-term future until there is clarity over which division the club will be playing in next season.
Could Will Lankshear follow Harry Kane pathway at Tottenham?
Tottenham’s academy has faced criticism for years due to the lack of elite talents breaking through into the first team, with Harry Kane often viewed as the rare exception.
Now, some supporters believe Will Lankshear could follow a similar pathway. Like Kane, the striker was released by Arsenal at a young age before rebuilding his reputation elsewhere, and comparisons have also been drawn between the pair due to aspects of Lankshear’s playing style.
The arrival of Roberto De Zerbi could also work in his favour. The Italian has shown throughout his managerial career that he is willing to trust young players if they prove themselves, something seen during his time at Brighton and Marseille.
With Tottenham likely to move at least one striker on this summer, there could be an opportunity for Lankshear to establish himself within the first-team setup.
Of course, much of that may depend on whether Spurs can preserve their Premier League status over the final weeks of the campaign.