Exclusive: Ipswich, Stoke Monitor Will Lankshear as Spurs Weigh Next Development Move

Tottenham Hotspur expect to be presented with a welcome dilemma this summer as a host of Championship clubs continue to monitor Will Lankshear’s progress whilst on loan at Oxford United, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal. 

Ipswich Town are among the centre-forward’s potential suitors, and are understood to be considering tabling a proposal for his services if they gain promotion back to the Premier League. 

With Ipswich forwards Jaden Philogene and Sandre Walle Egeli already linked with summer exits, the club is said to be scouting potential replacements as a precaution.

But Stoke City are also impressed by Lankshear’s potential, with Mark Robins’ side exploring the option of submitting a rival bid or swooping should the Tractor Boys eventually decide to look elsewhere.

Compared favourably to the legendary Harry Kane, Lankshear moved to the Kassam Stadium at the beginning of the present campaign after moving to north London following a spell in Sheffield United’s academy. 

Having joined the Blades after being released by Arsenal, the 20-year-old is viewed as a star of the future by Igor Tudor’s employers, even though they do not expect him to challenge for a regular starting role next term.

Rising Talent 

After spending time with West Bromwich Albion ahead of his switch to Oxford, Spurs would prefer Lankshear to complete the next phase of his development with a fellow Premier League outfit so they can better gauge his progress. 

That would make Portman Road the most desirable destination for their sporting strategists, should Ipswich make an immediate return to the highest level of the English game. 

But the bet365 Stadium is another realistic possibility, given that Mark Robins is being tipped to mount a strong challenge for play-off qualification next term having briefly flirted with the promotion places at the start of the campaign.

Lankshear cost Spurs an initial £1million when he joined them four years ago, with a further £1million potentially payable depending upon him meeting several performance related targets. 

Although he failed to score in 11 outings for Albion, he has so far found the back of the net on seven occasions for Matt Bloomfield’s strugglers.