“Should” – Roberto De Zerbi wants Tottenham to sign £21.5m midfielder on long-term deal

Premier League clubs are ready to roll over if Tottenham decide to let young striker Will Lankshear leave this summer.

Lankshear returns to Tottenham as a club rally

Lankshear, 21, ended a successful loan spell at relegated Oxford by making 47 appearances in the Championship side's 2-0 defeat at Millwall on Saturday.

While Lankshear was unable to keep Oxford, the England Under-21 striker scored 12 goals and provided four assists during a successful season-long loan spell to catch the eye of a number of clubs in England and abroad.

Former Arsenal youngster Lankshear will return to Hotspur Way sometime next week for an end-of-season test before a well-earned break.

Any decision on Lankshear's long-term future at Tottenham will not be made until it is clear where the club will be in the 2026-27 campaign, but there is optimism about his prospects under Roberto De Zerbi.

Spurs manager De Zerbi has offered many young players to Brighton, including Evan Ferguson.

Ferguson scored 11 goals in De Zerbi's first season at the Seagulls as a teenager and is a similar profile to Lankshear, who has improved physically in the Championship and broken his top speed on numerous occasions.

Antonio Conte was the first Tottenham manager to work with Lankshear after his arrival from Sheffield United in 2022 and gave him a friendly against Nice after the winter World Cup.

However, Ange Postecoglou introduced Lankshear to his success in the 2024-25 campaign and the striker scored the highlight of the night against Galatasaray in the Europa League where he silenced the Rams Park crowd before picking up a second yellow card.

Lankshear then scored the first goal of the ailing Thomas Frank era at Spurs last July in a friendly at Reading before being loaned out to Oxford despite other Championship options.

De Zerbi wants Palhinha's signature

With questions surrounding the future of several players, De Zerbi issued a public appeal to sign Joao Palhinha permanently during a pre-Leeds press conference.

Spurs have a €25m (£21.5m) option to sign the Portugal international this summer following the end of his loan spell.

“100 per cent. We have to start with this type of people,” said the manager (via Alasdair Gold).

“In addition to players, we need people and reliable players and Palhinha is one of the best, as a player for sure but as a boy.

“I want to see players with the same personality, attitude and spirit and we are lucky to have him.”

Palhinha has played 30 times in the Premier League this season, scoring four goals, including a stunning win over Wolves.

Labeled “one of the best in football” by Tom Cairney during their time together at Fulham, the 30-year-old's 3.3 strikes per game are the best in the top flight this season.