Will Lankshear leaves Spurs for Middlesbrough after six first-team appearances
Tottenham Hotspur striker Will Lankshear has completed a permanent move to Championship side Middlesbrough. The 21-year-old England under-20 international signed a five-year deal with his new club on Tuesday, ending his time at Spurs after six first-team appearances.
Lankshear, who spent last season on loan at Oxford United in the second tier, recorded 11 goals and four assists in 44 appearances for the Us. Among his highlights was the winner against relegation rivals West Bromwich Albion in a 2-1 victory in February and a brace against Sheffield Wednesday in the penultimate match of the season.
What the move means for Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough missed out on promotion to the Premier League last season after a 1-0 defeat by Hull City in the Championship play-off final. Oli McBurnie scored the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time to consign Boro to a 10th successive season in the second tier.
The club had money to spend this summer following the departure of star midfielder Hayden Hackney to Everton in a deal which could rise to just under £25m if all clauses are met. Lankshear is the second striker to join Boro this month, after they completed a deal for Hull City forward Kyle Joseph.
Lankshear’s Spurs record and loan spells
Lankshear played six times for Tottenham’s first team - three of which in the Premier League - scoring once in the Europa League against Galatasaray in November 2024. He was later sent off in that match.
Before his Oxford loan, he spent the second half of the 2024-25 campaign on loan at West Brom, where he failed to score in 11 appearances. Still, he was named Oxford’s young player of the year following his first full season in senior football.
Boro’s summer rebuild and current standing
Middlesbrough have also signed attacking midfielders Myles Peart-Harris and Jeremy Sarmiento this month. The club currently sits 20th in the Premier League with zero points and zero goals scored or conceded as of 22 July 2026.
