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Tottenham Hotspur expect to be presented with a welcome dilemma this summer as a host of Championship clubs continue to monitor Will Lankshear’s progress whilst on loan at Oxford United, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

Ipswich Town are among the centre-forward’s potential suitors, and are understood to be considering tabling a proposal for his services if they gain promotion back to the Premier League.

With Ipswich forwards Jaden Philogene and Sandre Walle Egeli already linked with summer exits, the club is said to be scouting potential replacements as a precaution.

But Stoke City are also impressed by Lankshear’s potential, with Mark Robins’ side exploring the option of submitting a rival bid or swooping should the Tractor Boys eventually decide to look elsewhere.

Compared favourably to the legendary Harry Kane, Lankshear moved to the Kassam Stadium at the beginning of the present campaign after moving to north London following a spell in Sheffield United’s academy.

Having joined the Blades after being released by Arsenal, the 20-year-old is viewed as a star of the future by Igor Tudor’s employers, even though they do not expect him to challenge for a regular starting role next term.

Rising Talent

After spending time with West Bromwich Albion ahead of his switch to Oxford, Spurs would prefer Lankshear to complete the next phase of his development with a fellow Premier League outfit so they can better gauge his progress.

That would make Portman Road the most desirable destination for their sporting strategists, should Ipswich make an immediate return to the highest level of the English game.

But the bet365 Stadium is another realistic possibility, given that Mark Robins is being tipped to mount a strong challenge for play-off qualification next term having briefly flirted with the promotion places at the start of the campaign.

Lankshear cost Spurs an initial £1million when he joined them four years ago, with a further £1million potentially payable depending upon him meeting several performance related targets.

Although he failed to score in 11 outings for Albion, he has so far found the back of the net on seven occasions for Matt Bloomfield’s strugglers.

Despite early signs of improvement, Thomas Frank’s time at Spurs has come under immense pressure in recent weeks, and he could be fighting for his job. The challenges have been considerable, forcing Frank to balance tactical evolution with the immediate need for stability. Navigating this stretch successfully could prove pivotal not only for his tenure but for Spurs’ direction moving forward.

The last five games have demonstrated a team struggling to find rhythm and consistency, which has seen Spurs give up valuable points. The FA Cup match against Aston Villa was one of their worst performances under Frank, as Villa dominated Spurs to advance to the next stage.

At home to West Ham, the Lilywhites lacked finesse in the final third and failed to capitalize on a fixture that looked likely to go their way, but the Hammers stole the win late on, adding to Spurs’ troubles.

After three consecutive defeats, Frank was desperate to turn things around in their Champions League outing against Dortmund. Spurs handled the pressure and outplayed the German outfit, coming away with an important victory.

Relegation-threatened Burnley followed next, a fixture that proved to be another missed opportunity ahead of preparing for Frankfurt in the Champions League away from home. Returning to league action, Spurs have tough games coming up and must use this fixture against City to regain belief and potentially secure a positive result.

While Manchester City has encountered a few short-term obstacles, it fits a familiar pattern rather than signaling any lasting decline. Their dominance remains intact beneath the surface, and with a refreshed squad taking shape, this period looks set to serve as the foundation for another sustained run at the top, especially with arguably the best manager in world football on the touchline in Pep Guardiola.

Coming into this fixture, City has seen a mixed bag of results, something that doesn’t usually happen very often to a Guardiola team. On the back of a confident win at St James’ Park against Newcastle, City were taken by surprise in the Manchester derby as United were relentless in coming away with not just the win but also bragging rights.

A Champions League outing was next against Bodo Glimt, and it was the Norwegian side who were victorious on the night in a fixture where City lacked their usual firepower up front. After three tough away matches, the Citizens returned to the Etihad, proving form is temporary, but class is permanent, with dominant performances against Wolves and Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Now with restored confidence, Guardiola will aim to control proceedings against Tottenham and secure a victory as they look to stay within touching distance of first-place Arsenal.

Tottenham Hotspur have added Mika Mármol's name to their wanted list with Radu Drăgușin set to leave north London, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

The Spaniard, aged 24, opted to remain with Las Palmas last season despite their relegation to Segunda Division.

Despite that, he remains one of his country’s most respected young defenders having excelled for Luis Garcia’s side this term.

Dragusin, who only moved to Spurs from Genoa 24 months ago, faces an uncertain future with Thomas Frank’s side as the Dane battles to secure his position following a chequered start to his reign.

A regular starter for Romania, Dragusin is a confirmed target for Fiorentina while Roma are also understood to be interested in acquiring his services to avert a potential injury crisis.

Although Frank’s position remains in the balance, with his own club’s fans calling for him to be sacked following Saturday’s defeat by West Ham United, Spurs have already begun scouring the market for alternatives to Dragusin as the 23-year-old considers a return to Italy where he also represented Juventus, Salernitana and Sampdoria after progressing through the ranks at Studentesc Bucuresti in his native Bucharest.

MICROSCOPE

And that has seen them place Marmol under the microscope, given the similarities between his game and Dragusin.

Marmol began his career with Barcelona before establishing himself at Andorra. He then joined the Gran Canarians in 2023, and has been capped by both La Roja and Catalonia.

Crucially, Marmol can play either in the middle of a rearguard or as a traditional left back. That versatility, as well as the fact he is unlikely to renew a contract which expires at the end of the present campaign, has alerted Frank’s employers to the possibility of bringing him to England and nurturing his considerable talent.

Barca, who retain a 50 percent stake in the player’s future rights, are unlikely to bring him back to the Nou Camp but, having kept in contact with Marmol’s advisors, have already begun planning to bank a sell-on fee.

A release clause, believed to be set at £10m, was inserted into the deal he agreed with Las Palmas although Marmol’s army of suitors would prefer to wait until the summer before showing their hands.

Former West Brom boss Ryan Mason is being lined up as a potential interim boss should Tottenham Hotspur sack Thomas Frank, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

Mason failed to turn West Brom into Skybet Championship promotion contenders.

But the now sacked Baggies boss could now achieve an individual return to the Premier League.

Former Manchester United coach Eric Ramsay has since taken charge at West Brom, landing the role after SportsBoom revealed he beat off competition from Jon Dahl Tomasson to secure the Hawthorns hotseat.

Frank continues to limp on as beleaguered Tottenham Hotspur manager after a worrying run of results, including Sunday’s dismal late defeat to strugglers West Ham.

But the knives are out for the former Brentford supremo after less than seven months.

Some stellar names are among the favourites to replace the affable Dane at N17 if Spurs’ hierarchy decide on another change.

Xavi Alonso, recently binned by Real Madrid, ex Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino and even Manchester United flop, Ruben Amorim, lead the race to fill any soon to be created vacancy.

And while Mason is way down the pecking order, especially after his unsuccessful short tenure at the Hawthorns, our sources have learnt he is viewed as a safe pair of hands by Spurs’ hierarchy in the short term.

Indeed, Spurs issued a glowing ‘thank you’ tribute to ‘Mase’ on their website when he quit for West Brom.

GROWING SCRUTINY

Mason, 34, whose name continues to crop up with Frank under scrutiny, spent seven years in Spurs’ coaching structure before leaving for West Brom.

Having seen Manchester United turn to one of their own, initially with Darren Fletcher and then Michael Carrick-who masterminded a stunning 2-0 win over derby rivals, City-it is thought Spurs could do the same.

Mason, who played for Spurs and Hull City before a dreadful head injury ended his career, stepped onto Tottenham’s coaching team in April 2018, working closely with the club’s Academy.

When Jose Mourinho was sacked three years later, Mason, who won one senior England cap, became interim head coach. At 29, he became the Premier League’s youngest manager.

He won four of his seven matches, including an EFL Cup defeat to Manchester City, before reprising his role after the departure of Antonio Conte in 2023.

Now, he could be lined up for a third spell should Frank’s unhappy reign be cut short.

Unai Emery hopes his close relationship with Dani Ceballos can convince the Real Madrid player to be a part of his Aston Villa project, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

Villa have seen their pursuit of Conor Gallagher hijacked by Tottenham Hotspur in recent days.

It is a hammer blow to Emery, who is desperate to bolster his midfield options this month.

Emery is aware of Villa’s financial position and the tightrope they are walking in terms of appeasing PSR regulations.

Villa had proposed a loan deal with an obligation to buy Gallagher from Atletico Madrid.

But Thomas Frank’s Spurs, who saw their own initial loan offer rebuffed by the Spanish club, restructured their deal to suit Atletico’s demands and secured the former Chelsea midfielder, subject to personal terms, for a fee in the region of £35million.

Villa’s midfield woes were deepened at the weekend after Boubacar Kamara sustained a knee injury during their FA Cup win over Spurs.

And Emery has now turned his attention to Real’s Ceballos, who he brought to the Premier League on loan as Arsenal boss back in 2019.

Villa Money Troubles Hampering Unai

Our sources in the Midlands understand the deal would be structured similarly to the proposed Gallagher move in terms of a loan with an obligation to buy.

Ceballos’s profile is more akin to Kamara than Gallagher, but with Villa waiting on scan results for the 26-year-old Emery is ready to green light a move for the Madrid midfielder.

The Spaniard has made 17 appearances for the La Liga giants so far this term, with the majority of those coming off the bench.

But the question remains over whether he would want to ditch being part of a squad that includes Jude Bellingham to return to England for Villa’s battle for a Champions League spot.

If Ceballos is a no then it is back to the drawing board for Emery and Villa, whose hands are tied in terms of transfer fees this window.

Eight-time FA Cup winners Tottenham put together some form over the festive period, which included a crucial win away to Crystal Palace (1-0) in the Premier League. It would have been by a more comfortable margin, had it not been for a couple of Richarlison strikes overturned by VAR.

There will have been disappointment in the camp following the 1-1 draw at home to Sunderland last weekend, but the injuries aren’t slowing down, as Mohammed Kudus was pulled off with a suspected thigh problem.

Thomas Frank has come under scrutiny. However, he would relish a good run in the competition as his side last lifted the FA Cup back in 1991.

Bar the 4-1 hammering at Arsenal before the New Year, Villa are showing no signs of fading in the Premier League title race, and they continue to be the great entertainers.

Over the past fortnight, Villa have shown remarkable powers of recovery, as demonstrated in the league when they came from 1-0 down away to Chelsea before pulling off a 2-1 win, courtesy of an Ollie Watkins double.

Emery’s men are mentally strong, and a strong run in the FA Cup will be much appreciated.

Thomas Frank has had a challenging season with Spurs, marked by inconsistency, especially at home early on, but recent results suggest growing cohesion. The Lilywhites are slowly shifting away from a risk-heavy style and moving towards a more pragmatic, structure-oriented approach, focusing on defensive solidity and direct attacks rather than pure flair and constant possession.

Ahead of this exciting matchup, Spurs have picked up some momentum and look more like a team rather than a group of quality individuals. Despite the defeat to Fulham, they quickly bounced back and earned a massive point away to Newcastle after Cristian Romero scored a late goal in extra time to rescue the draw. Brentford was next, which was a personal match for Frank against his former club.

Frank stood firm, comfortably defeating the Bees in his new home and not allowing the occasion to come in the way of business, which was followed by another convincing victory over Slavia Praha in the UEFA Champions League, making it back-to-back victories at home. Nottingham, however, dismantled Spurs last time out, and a full week of intense preparation is required to face a resurgent Liverpool.

Liverpool and Arne Slot, despite being the defending Premier League champions, are going through a difficult period, both on and off the field, which has come as a surprise to many. From uncertainty to inconsistency, the Reds have lacked that cutting edge and dominance, but still possess enough quality to turn their current crisis around and return to their very best.

While the noise continues to get in the way of their progress, Liverpool has maintained their professionalism and has put together a five-game unbeaten streak. After a demoralizing defeat at Anfield against Nottingham, the Reds cut West Ham apart to return to winning ways, which was followed by two very intense draws against Sunderland and Leeds, respectively.

Coming off a confidence-boosting win in the Champions League against Inter Milan, Brighton tested their resilience, with Hugo Ekitike driving them to victory, and now have a chance to make it three wins in a row when they face Spurs. Now back in a respectable position, Slot will want to keep their momentum going and come away with another massive three points.