(Credit: Imago)

Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

Wed 11 March 2026 17:48, UK

Follow us on Google Discover

Tottenham Hotspur starlet Will Lankshear had offers from Championship promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town in the January transfer window, sources have told Football Insider.

The England U21 striker was a target for Boro and Ipswich in the winter window, but ultimately opted to continue his loan spell with Oxford after impressing for them in the first half of the season.

Boro had lined up a loan-to-buy deal worth in the region of £15million for the 20-year-old, dependent on them winning promotion to the Premier League, while Ipswich were also keen on the forward.

Tottenham’s transfer plans have taken a long-term focus in recent years, and they came to a joint decision with Lankshear that his development was better served by seeing out his time with Oxford.

Tottenham expect Will Lankshear to follow in Mikey Moore’s footsteps

Tottenham are understood to be happy with Lankshear’s progress during his latest loan spell, and they have high hopes for the player to come back and battle for a first-team spot next season.

The starlet is expected to have a big future ahead of him in North London, and he is held in similar regard to fellow loanees Mikey Moore and Luka Vuskovic within the club.

Lankshear is understood to be enjoying his time at Oxford, and he has flourished with the Kassam Stadium outfit so far this term, scoring nine goals in all competitions.

He has netted in back-to-back victories for the U’s in recent weeks, and decided to stay loyal to his current loan club due to his desire to spearhead their fight for Championship survival.

Matt Bloomfield’s side are now just three points away from safety after their pair of recent victories, and Lankshear will continue to play a key role as the team’s top scorer.

Spurs youngsters to take advantage of ‘massive’ exodus

Former Everton and Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness told Football Insider last week that Tottenham are facing a “massive” exodus in their squad if they are relegated from the Premier League.

The Scottish businessman suggested that several of the club’s key first-team players will move on if they go down, while they will also have to cut wage costs significantly amid a striking reduction in revenue.

That would leave gaps open in the squad for some of the most promising youngsters to step into the fold, with Lankshear is likely to be among those who will be lined up to step in as a result.

The Lilywhites are facing a huge amount of uncertainty as we head into the final few weeks of the campaign, but it is already clear that opportunities will be there for young players if they do fall into the Championship.