Lankshear on fire for Middlesbrough: Did Spurs just sell the next Kane?

Will Lankshear’s first two games as a Middlesbrough player have already rewritten the narrative around his £20m move from Tottenham. A volleyed winner on his Carabao Cup debut against Wrexham was followed by a brace to rescue a 2-1 Championship victory over Lincoln City. Those performances have silenced early doubts and left observers wondering whether Spurs may have undervalued a striker with genuine top-flight potential.

From Spurs loanee to Boro’s breakthrough

Lankshear’s path to Teesside has been anything but linear. After unproductive spells at West Bromwich Albion and Oxford United, the 21-year-old returned to Spurs only to be shipped out again—this time on a permanent deal. Middlesbrough’s willingness to meet a reported £20m ceiling, with add-ons, now looks shrewd. “A lot of people questioned it,” Scott Chickelday, Boro’s striker coach, told Sky Sports. “Those same people are now looking at it and thinking, hang on, we might have got a bit of a bargain here.”

Chickelday’s verdict carries weight. He has worked closely with Lankshear for two years, including one-on-one finishing sessions, and rates the youngster as the best finisher he has coached—top Premier League players included. “He has got all the finishes in the book,” Chickelday explained. “The little flicks around the corner, tap-ins, headers, volleys. Just an all-round No 9 and there are not many around at the minute.”

Parallels with Kane risk hyperbole—but the tools are real

Comparisons to Harry Kane are inevitable given the England striker’s record-breaking career, but the parallels extend beyond goals alone. Like Kane, Lankshear endured loan setbacks early in his development; a goalless return at West Brom was followed by a more fruitful stint at Oxford, where he showed promise even as the club suffered relegation. Matt Bloomfield, who coached Lankshear at Oxford, told Sky Sports: “Oxford was a big step for Will. He had gone out on loan before and it had not quite worked out.”

The Championship has always been a proving ground for young English strikers, and Lankshear’s start suggests he is ready to make it his own. His two goals against Lincoln came in a game Boro trailed until the 75th minute, underlining both his composure and his technical range. Whether he can sustain this form across a full season remains the next test, but the early returns are undeniable.

What this means for Spurs—and the wider market

Tottenham’s decision to sell Lankshear for a fee that could reach £20m looks even more astute when viewed against the current transfer landscape. As clubs scramble for elite strikers, Spurs have recouped value while freeing up a pathway for their academy graduates. The contrast with other Premier League clubs’ spending is stark: Arsenal are reportedly willing to pay £60m for Victor Osimhen, while Manchester United pursue a new contract for Bruno Fernandes amid reported interest from Galatasaray.

Lankshear’s emergence also raises questions about Spurs’ long-term striking strategy. With the club linked to multiple forward options, including potential moves for players like Gakpo, the Boro striker’s development could influence future recruitment. For now, though, the focus is on Lankshear himself. Two goals in two games is a start, not a conclusion—but in a transfer market where bargains are rare, Middlesbrough may have landed one.

One transfer saga that underscores the volatility of this window is the ongoing race for Victor Osimhen, with Arsenal reportedly leading the chase for the Napoli striker. Arsenal’s pursuit highlights the premium on proven Premier League strikers, yet Middlesbrough’s gamble on Lankshear suggests that potential, when nurtured, can still outperform expectations. Meanwhile, Tottenham’s willingness to move on young talent reflects a broader trend; as clubs balance budgets against ambition, even academy products like Lankshear are viewed through a commercial lens.

For Lankshear, the challenge now is to convert early promise into consistent production. The Championship is unforgiving, but his technical profile—complete with a full suite of finishing techniques—gives him a platform to thrive. If he can replicate this form across 46 games, the “next Kane” tag may stop sounding like hyperbole and start sounding like a prophecy.