The 21-year-old striker signs new contract at Middlesbrough, ends association with Tottenham.
Will Lankshear has joined Middlesbrough on a permanent deal, with Boro paying Tottenham £14 million that could rise to £20 million with add-ons. The 21-year-old striker’s departure closes a chapter that never quite gave him the runway he needed at Spurs but leaves the club with a handsome profit and genuine hope that he fulfils his potential elsewhere.
Lankshear arrived from Sheffield United for around £2 million, a young forward with genuine finishing instinct and physicality that caught eyes in training from day one.
Ange Postecoglou gave him opportunities, describing him after one appearance as looking “bright” and willing to work hard. But the opportunities were sporadic, a couple of chances in a crowded attacking picture, and patience at Spurs wasn’t something a hungry 21-year-old in need of consistent minutes could afford to rely on. 48 appearances across his time at the first team, the U21s and the U18s at Tottenham, including six senior appearances (one goal).
A loan spell at Oxford United in the Championship changed the narrative. Lankshear scored 12 times in a season where the U’s were fighting for promotion, proper first-team football revealing exactly why Boro moved decisively to secure him.
Middlesbrough are a club on the rise, challenging for promotion, and needing exactly the kind of dynamic, hungry striker Lankshear is. He’ll walk into regular football, the kind a talent of his level needs to develop, and that’s a healthier path than hoping for sporadic Spurs appearances in a squad that’s just spent £230m+ reshaped around different attacking profiles altogether.
Lankshear’s Spurs story was always going to be brief, but it’s one that worked out for everyone. The club found a player who wasn’t quite their priority, gave him a platform when they could, and profit when it became clear his future lay elsewhere.
For Lankshear, Middlesbrough offer exactly what he needs. Watch Teesside closely this season.