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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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Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zebri has totally changed the vibe at the club, and after saving Spurs from Premier League relegation, the Italian manager has followed things up beautifully by signing two of the best midfielders in the division in Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes to immediately start at the base of the midfield behind either James Maddison or Xavi Simons.

But Spurs fans do not want the club to be done any time soon with their dream summer business this year, because there are gaping holes. to address in the attack. Tottenham have done exceptionally well to improve the base of the midfield, but now the Lilywhites need to finish it off with guys who can score the goals and make the real plays in attack.

De Zerbi is ready to give Spurs supporters what they want again. Speaking to the media during preseason training, De Zerbi affirmed that he is not done making additions to the Tottenham Hotspur squad this summer.

De Zerbi never rests

The manager stated, via Hotspur Lane, "We are excited with the idea to build a very strong team. Now we have to finish it, it's not finished yet. Our transfer market, in and out, at the moment, I am very happy, proud, and positive."

That is exactly the mentality Tottenham fans love about De Zebri. He is never satisfied and he wants to take Spurs straight the top - and unlike legends like Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho, he is actually making the kinds of tangible waves that could help Spurs get there.

Right now, Tottenham have only one top forward they are actually in talks for in Savinho, and the only other concrete link is to Liverpool star Cody Gakpo on the left wing. The only striker Spurs fans know they are in for is Eli Junior Kroupi from Bournemouth, but the chances of him being available seem to be almost zero due to Bournemouth setting a very hard line on him.

Tottenham are going to have to make multiple signings, and that is why it is so huge for the Spurs faithful to hear straight from De Zerbi's mouth that he is not close to being finished yet pushing for more and more signings for Johan Lange and the Lilywhites to bring in.

Spurs need to step on the gas pedal and make some major splashes this summer, and now it will be curious to see who they go for first.

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It didn't take long for Roberto De Zerbi to prove one of his biggest criticisms wrong

Although Joao Palhinha had a lull in the middle of the 2025/26 Premier League season, Tottenham Hotspur supporters fell back in love with the veteran defensive midfielder at the end of the campaign for his heroics in the Premier League relegation battle.

Without Palhinha, Spurs would have very likely ended up in the EFL Championship. He really turned up his performances in the final month of the campaign, saving his best for last with a monster of a display, including the winning goal from a corner, to sink Everton.

At the time, Roberto De Zerbi was telling the world that Palhinha would 100 percent be back at Tottenham and in his plans as at least a rotational player with some importance in the squad after the character and defensive quality he showed for the Lilywhites when they needed him the most.

Bayern Munich did Joao Palhinha wrong

So there was a sense of betrayal when Tottenham Hotspur did not keep Joao Palhinha after all, letting the former Fulham star head back to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich without accepting his 25-30 million euro option to buy on the one year loan deal they made last summer.

According to information from German outlet BILD, via iMiaSanMia, the culprit of Palhinha's snub was not Tottenham's manager Roberto De Zerbi. It was not he who went back on his word that stopped the Palhinha transfer to Spurs from being permanent, but rather Bayern's own greed.

The story from BILD is that De Zerbi really did love Palhinha and very much wanted to sign him permanently. Tottenham just did not feel that 25-30 million euros was worth the price, and as they did with Mathys Tel from Bayern last summer, they tried to negotiate the loan clause down.

They were unsuccessful, as the interest from the Portuguese top flight led Bayern to believe they could get full value for the 31 year old. Bayern insisted on 30 million euros, which Tottenham balked at. And so did Benfica and Sporting CP, who now just want a simple loan deal again. Now, Bayern are still scrambling to find a solution, because Palhinha has no path to playing time there - and the Reds don't want to be stuck with another loan.

Perhaps this will open the door for Tottenham to reconsider, but you wonder if that ship has sailed for De Zerbi after Tottenham brought in both Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes for nearly 200 million euros because they still have Conor Gallagher and Rodrigo Bentancur on their books as veteran mids.

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Tottenham Hotspur right winger Dejan Kulusevski has not been seen on the football pitch since the end of the 2024/25 season, as he suffered a devastating knee injury that has still remained without an official diagnosis, comment from the club, or a time table for a return.

But this summer, quietly, Kulusevski has resumed training. After predictably missing the 2026 World Cup with the Swedish national team, Kulu has been posting videos of himself moving with the ball and shooting, and whlie it is hard to tell how he is on that knee or if he is anywhere near game shape or what the future will hold for him, it has been wonderful to at least see him out there with the ball.

In an appearance on the Last Word on Spurs show, PA Sport's Tottenham journalist George Sessions made a bold Dejan Kulusevski injury prediction. Sessions thinks that we will see Kulu out on the pitch for Spurs before long, predicting the Swedish international's return from knee injury in the first half of the season.

Tottenham fans are begging to see Kulu back

Now the first half of the 2026/27 campaign could be anywhere from August to December, and while the latter part of the year seems more likely for a player who has not had a sniff of action in over a year, any return is great news for Tottenham fans.

Kulusevski was one of the best right wingers in the Premier League before his injury and played a crucial role in getting Spurs to the point where they could win the Europa League title in 2024/25. Ange Postecoglou was actually playing him a bit further back to start the young Brennan Johnson, now at Crystal Palace, on the right wing, and Kulu, a former Serie A star, was actually thriving in this Mezzala role in the Spurs offense.

It is anyone's guess as to what Kulusevski can offer going forward, and after a knee injury that quite honestly still looks career threatening, Kulu may never be the same again. But with his football IQ and heart, Tottenham Hotspur supporters would never put it past the 26 year old to bounce back, even if it not this season but the next.

George Sessions is optimistic, and while one man's word or prediction does not mean much, it is, in this case, enough to keep giving Spurs fans hope of better days to come for their beloved attacker.

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They had no idea they were doing it, and they probably couldn't care less, but Chelsea's mammoth purchase of Morgan Rogers helped Spurs strike an impressive deal for the sale of Will Lankshear.

The Lilywhites have entered their selling era of this summer transfer window, having splurged more than 230m to completely reinvent their defence and midfield.

Spurs are expected to go big again to bolster their frontline, but sales are being prioritised for the moment. Lankshear will soon be added to the list of departures after the club oversaw the exits of Luka Vukovi, Alfie Devine, Alejo Vliz and Radu Drguin. Lucas Bergvall, Cristian Romero and World Cup hero Djed Spence could also be on the move.

The club's earned just shy of 70m in sales so far, and they're set to add a healthy chunk to their transfer kitty once Middlesbrough complete the signing of Lankshear, who made just three senior appearances for the club.

Middlesbrough cash-in on Morgan Rogers deal to sign Will Lankshear

This is a brilliant deal for Spurs. Yes, I know some of us are concerned about potential pathways for our younger players, especially after we lost Tynan Thompson to Manchester United, albeit for 8m, but we couldn't turn down a deal for Lankshear that may be worth 20m. Boro are paying a reported 10m up front and another 10m in add-ons.

Letting him go for that sort of money is a no-brainer, and Chelsea's 117m purchase of Rogers helped facilitate Boro's move.

How? Well, the Championship club is earning 20% of the profit Villa earns from the Rogers sale after selling the Englishman to the Villans for 8m in January 2024. Thus, they're expected to make at least 20m, which is seemingly being reinvested into Lanskhear.

We've also snuck in a 20% sell-on clause into our agreement with Boro for the young striker, so if he does develop into a world-beater, we'll at least earn a big wad of cash when the Premier League hopefuls eventually sell.

The deal is another example of the club operating more shrewdly in the market. We were so bad at selling for so long, but I don't think we can have any complaints about what we've done on that front so far this summer.

We're setting the stage for another big splash, with as many as three forwards potentially coming through the door. The bombas are coming, folks.

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Sportitalia insist Cristian Romero is eager for a return to Serie A with Inter, but the €50m asking price set by Tottenham Hotspur is a major hurdle.

The 28-year-old limped off during the 2026 World Cup Final with Argentina, but had already decided that he would be moving on at club level this summer.

Romero eager for Serie A return

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 24: Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur applauds the fans following the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 24, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

His contract at Spurs runs to June 2029, but he feels that his time at White Hart Lane is over, especially after they struggled simply to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

According to Sportitalia reporter Gianluigi Longari, Inter are in contact with Romero’s entourage, and the player would be more than happy to come back to Italy.

This is where Cuti first made his mark, arriving for Genoa in 2018, then going on to Juventus and Atalanta, until the €53.8m transfer to Tottenham in 2021.

It isn't every day that a backup fullback from Tottenham Hotspur is getting praised by Donald Trump for putting a clamp on a record breaking Lionel Messi in the World Cup or getting people who never even cared about football before into the beautiful game, but Djed Spence had a transformative World Cup for the England national team, going from a player everyone criticized for being included in the squad to being one of the heroes of the country as England finished third.

Spence fought his way back into the starting lineup during the knockout stages after an injury to Reece James, and he clearly outplayed the Chelsea star, who was previously touted by his fan base as the best right back in the world (and now that honor seems to be going to Spence's teammate Pedro Porro after winning the entire World Cup).

England's faces are obviously Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, but after those two, it is hard to argue that Spence wasn't the third best player on England this summer. Tottenham Hotspur fans have been singing his praises to the fullest since his dominant defensive display at the end of the game against a very tough Mexico side at the Azteca, puttinghis body on the line to make sure England held on to a 3-2 victory.

Djed Spence was tremendous

And now, on The Overlap podcast, even Premier League icons Gary Neville and Ian Wright are admitting that Djed Spence was the best overall defender on the England national team this summer. Wright said, "Djed Spence was our best defender...he made decisive tackles," and Neville added, "Definitely [Djed Spence]," when the question of England's best defender this summer was posed to them.

Tottenham fans will think that this conclusion is rather obvious, and there really isn't that much competition. Manchester City stars Nico O'Reilly and Marc Guehi were incredible and had great World Cups, but nobody stood out more than Spence, whose heroics against the French and Argentina national teams and their superstars were impossible to ignore.

Spence heads back to Tottenham with a stock at an all time high, and Inter Milan probably won't be the only big club thinking about signing the versatile fullback, who can start on either side of the defense, this summer. But Roberto De Zerbi now has everyone reason to believe in Spence, and though he loves Destiny Udogie, Spence has reopened the conversation of a battle at left back.

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For months during the 2025/26 Premier League season, Tottenham Hotspur were linked to West Ham United left winger Crysencio Summerville, and whlie the Lilywhites landed an even bigger prize from the Hammers this summer transfer window in Mateus Fernandes, Summerville could have been an intriguing option on the left side after flashing quality in the Premier League last season and then having an excellent 2026 World Cup with the Netherlands.

With PSG, Manchester United, and other big clubs interested in Summerville, it was a bit surprising to see nothing registered from Spurs for the Dutch winger. AS Roma recently accelerated with major interest in the player, but they were usurped at the last second by big money from the Saudi Pro League.

According to a report from David Ornstein of The Athletic, Saudi powerhouses Al Hilal have agreed to a blockbuster 80 million euro transfer to sign Summerville from West Ham United this summer, and they have a long term contract ready for the 24 year old star.

Savinho just got even tougher for Spurs

While Crysencio Summerville is far from the finished product and Tottenham Hotspur do have eyes on two superior targets in Savinho and Cody Gakpo from actual Premier League clubs, Summerville was still a highly talented, ascending player with a real eye for goal when cutting inside and shooting.

And if Summerville is going for 80 million euros, then that is a scary bit of news for Tottenham, regardless of how Saudi Pro League clubs like Al Hilal can inflate prices on the market. Because if Summerville is 80 million euros, then Manchester City are going to keep driving a hard bargain for the younger and better Savinho, who would then by worth 80 million if that is the going rate for Summerville in the market.

Prices are going back to where they were getting before COVID when Neymar shattered everything by joining PSG for 222 million euros. Tottenham had to pay nearly 200 million pounds for Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes together, as well as more than 50 million pounds on Summerville's national teammate Jan Paul van Hecke despite the Brighton center back having just one year left on his contract.

It is a new world of transfers again, and after being serious about spending with Tonali and Fernandes, Spurs must do the same for a forward, because even a promising but unproven talent like Summerville is valued at 80 million.

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RB Leipzig superstar Yan Diomande had an excellent 2026 World Cup tournament to solidify his breakout 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign when, contextualizing his team and his importance to his team, he was arguably just as brilliant as Ballon d'Or candidate Michael Olise of Bayern Munich.

Tottenham Hotspur were linked to Diomande during the 2025/26 Premier League season alongside other Big Six clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United, and though only the Reds are interested in Diomande this summer transfer window, Spurs fans continue to have dreams of landing this versatile, young winger to their attack in need of stars.

Diomande has largely been viewed as unachievable for Spurs because of the expected price tag for the Leipzig star, as well as the fact that the player himself is more than heavily leaning towards a move to PSG, the reigning two time Champions of European football.

Yan Diomande is not so unachievable for Spurs

However, PSG and Diomande have yet to agree on a deal, leaving Diomande wide open for an approach from any club. And now, veteran French transfer journalist Loic Tanzi of L'Equipe is reporting that Diomande will be cheaper than many expected.

In an apperance on French outlet ICI Paris Ile-de-France, Tanzi said that PSG are confident they can seal a transfer below the RB Leipzig valuation, and apparently that valuation is only 110 million euros. That is a lot of money, but it is substantially less than what Elliot Anderson and Morgan Rogers went for in Premier League transfers - and it is also less than what PSG are rumored to be asking for their own winger, Bradley Barcola. And Yan Diomande is a bigger prize than all of them. Though the image rights and other aspects of the deal with ROC Nation, his agency, were expected to be difficult, Tanzi has clarified that they would not stand in the way of a deal.

Tanzi said, "The Yan Diomand file should move forward this week. PSG doesn't want to pay astronomical sums, less than the 110M that Liverpool offered to Leipzig. It could evolve but I'm still confident."

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Following back-to-back 17th place finishes, no club on earth has been busier than Tottenham Hotspur so far in this transfer window. As Roberto De Zerbi looks to completely reshape his squad, Spurs have already signed six new senior players.

Tottenham's summer 2026 signings so far

Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United. 100 million - central midfielder.

Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United. 85 million - central midfielder.

Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton. 52 million - centre-back.

Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth. Free transfer - centre-back.

Andy Robertson from Liverpool. Free transfer - left-back.

Martin Dbravka from Burnley. Free transfer - goalkeeper.

Fair to say, Tottenham are far from finished there. All six signings have joined from fellow Premier League clubs, or at least those who were in the league last season, a clear strategy from De Zerbi and technical director Johan Lange. However, for their next recruit, may Spurs be looking just the other side of Hadrian's Wall.

As reported by Fraser Fletcher of Team Talk, Tottenham are strongly interested in signing Celtic's Arne Engels. The Belgian has been identified as a potential replacement for Lucas Bergvall, who is pushing to leave the club this summer. According to reports, Nottingham Forest have had two bids rejected for the Swede, the second of which was 46 million, with Newcastle also interested. With Bergvall's departure seemingly inevitable, would Engels be a suitable replacement?

Arne Engels' career so far

Engels is a 22 year old Belgian international midfield. He began his career at Club Brugge, albeit never represented their first team. He thereby joined Augsburg in January 2023, appearing 53 times for the Bundesliga side, before moving to Celtic on deadline day of the 2024 summer transfer window. Signed for 11 million, he remains the Hoops' record-signing, brought in to replace Matt O'Riley.

Across two seasons in Glasgow, Engels has made 98 appearances for the Celts, scoring 17 goals and registering 21 assists. Of his 17 goals, 12 have been penalties, missing just two, also scoring from long-range against Dunfermline in May's Scottish Cup Final at Hampden. During a period of turmoil at Parkhead, Engels has largely remained a first-choice figure, irrespective of who the manager is.

At international level, his career has rather stalled. He has won four senior caps for Belgian, all coming during the 2024 UEFA Nations League campaign, including started defeats against both Italy and Israel in November of that year. However, since Domenico Tedesco was sacked and replaced by Rudi Garcia, he has been in the wilderness. Engels will hope that, whoever the new Red Devils head coach is, will give him a call up, and a move to the Premier League would surely only help his cause.

What are Arne Engels' strengths and why are Tottenham interested?

Engels' is a creative midfield first and foremost, but is also something of an all-rounder. In last season's Scottish Premiership, he racked up six big chances created and 43 key passes, as well as 318 passes completed in the final third, partially due to the fact that Celtic dominate possession in every domestic match that they play.

Nevertheless, Engels is more than just a classic number ten 'trequartista'. He is an excellent dribbler in tight spaces, and is capable running the hard yards too, covering a lot of ground and putting in the defensive work, as has been the case in Celtic's European matches against stronger opposition.

Engels is far from a complete package, nor the finished product, but all the raw ingredients are there for him to become a top player in the years to come. Stylistically, it is easy to understand why he has been identified as a Bergvall replacement, given their similarities.

How much could Engels cost?

According to all reports, Celtic are demanding 25 million for the Belgian, who still has two years remaining on his contract. This is pretty standard for the Scottish Premiership champions.

Celtic's three joint-record sales are all at the 25 million mark, namely Kieran Tierney to Arsenal, Jota to Al-Ittihad and Matt O'Riley to Brighton & Hove Albion, looking for a similar fee again.

Would Arne Engels be a good signing for Tottenham?

To conclude, this appears to be a smart move from Tottenham. With Bergvall pushing to go, De Zerbi would need a new all-round midfielder, and Engels does fit the bill. The Italian's all-action, high-octane style of football would get the best out of Engels, who is available at an affordable price.

Thus, the Belgian could soon become the sixth man to represent both Celtic and Spurs, after Fraser Forster, Victor Wanyama, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Joe Hart, Robbie Keane and Ramon Vega.

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