This Is Oxfordshire

The striker left Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur this week to join Boro in the Championship for a deal worth an initial £10 million, increasing by another £10 million in add-ons based on various incentives.

The 21-year-old spent last season on loan at the U's from Spurs, scoring 12 goals as the club were relegated to League One under Matt Bloomfield.

Winning the Men's Golden Boot and Young Player of the Season award with the Yellows, Lankshear became a fan favourite in OX4 and has been tipped by many for a career at the top of the game.

He signed for the Teessiders officially on Wednesday, leaving Roberto De Zerbi's Spurs after graduating from their academy and played six senior games, scoring one goal which came in the UEFA Europa League.

The England youth international join former Oxford man Myles Peart-Harris in signing for Boro.

Upon arriving at the Riverside Stadium, Lankshear refreshed his Instagram social media page leaving just 10 posts, two from his time at Oxford - a post announcing his awards triumphs and a collaboration with the club where he was videoed scoring a header against Portsmouth.

In his post announcing he had joined the Kim Hellberg's Boro, current and former U's names issued their messages of support.

Former head coach Gary Rowett, who kept Oxford in the second tier in the 2024/25 season before getting sacked last December, commented: "Good luck Will...well deserved."

Ex-Yellows midfielder Peart-Harris issued his welcome whilst Indonesia international Ole Romeny, who recently departed on loan to Dutch side Fortuna Sittard with a permanent option, said: "Letsgoo !!"

Current Oxford players Aidomo Emakhu, Brian De Keersmaecker and Greg Leigh all also issed warm messages of support to the Teessiders' new centre forward.

On his post issuing a heartfelt goodbye to former club Spurs, some big names shared their support.

Jamie Donley, who spent the second half of last season on loan at the Kassam Stadium and is contracted to the Premier League side, commented a gif expressing his sadness and support.

Meanwhile, Tottenham stars such as James Maddison, Dominic Solanke and Destiny Udogie all shared good luck messages.

Lankshear shone as a youth player for the Lilywhites, scoring 26 goals in 35 matches for the Under-21 side.

He made a first loan move to West Bromwich Albion in January 2025 where he did not manage to score in 11 games before spending the last campaign at Oxford under Rowett and then Matt Bloomfield.

Tottenham Hotspur want £20 million for 21-year-old Will Lankshear and have turned down multiple bids for him, according to Hayters.

The ex-U's striker, who was the club's top scorer last term with 12 goals in all competitions, is highly rated by his parent side who narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League last season finishing two points above the drop zone.

However, they haven't ruled out selling him if the right offer comes in with Portuguese side Sporting CP reportedly interested.

In addition Spurs is also considering another loan move for Lankshear to a Championship club, although the London team is looking to fund a summer spending spree that has already seen a £52 million bid for defender Jan Paul Van Hecke accepted by Brighton.

Lankshear has made three Premier League appearances for Spurs as well as scoring one goal in three Europa League features.

In a breakout season in men's football, the England youth international became a fan favourite in OX4 for his tenacity and goal scoring success in a struggling Championship team.

The 21-year-old's attitude off the pitch also endeared the fans to his name, with the player crediting the club as the place where it all began ahead of a hopefully successful career.

Reports suggest United are in talks to add the 19-year-old centre forward on loan, with Donley also attracting interest from other clubs in Sky Bet Championship, plus some sides in League One.

Donley made his senior Spurs debut as a late substitute for Brennan Johnson during a 3-3 draw at Manchester City in December.

READ ALSO: U’s boss on budget after Josh Murphy exit and the search for width

He was again a late substitute, this time for Son Heung-min, when Spurs beat Newcastle United 4-1 a week later.

Donley gained further experience from the bench as Tottenham beat Burnley 1-0 in the third round of the Emirates FA Cup, and in a 3-2 win at home to Brentford at the end of January.

The left-footer was born in Northern Ireland and has been at Tottenham since the age of eight.