Tottenham may finally be able to unleash their long-term Harry Kane replacement next season under Roberto De Zerbi
When a 20-year-old Harry Kane returned to Tottenham after an underwhelming loan stint at Leicester City in 2013, few would have predicted his subsequent demolition of numerous goal-scoring records.
More than a decade on, Tottenham could find themselves in an eerily similar situation with Oxford United loanee Will Lankshear, albeit following a considerably more successful spell in the Championship.
It would be unreasonable to immediately burden Lankshear by branding him as Tottenham’s ‘next Harry Kane’, yet his current career path makes it challenging to avoid drawing such parallels.
There is indeed some substance to warrant such a comparison, with Oxford Mail reporter Malachi Obrey, who has monitored Lankshear throughout the season, confirming that he and Kane do possess certain similarities, while acknowledging aspects of his game requiring development.
He told the Mirror: “I definitely see similarities, [Harry] Kane is an incredibly well-rounded footballer, not only was his finishing arguably the best in the Premier League, but he also was a top-three passer.
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“So I think there is a lot to do to become that sort of pedigree of footballer, but I can see it [in Lankshear], as a physical No.9 who is clever and can finish. Basically, all of his goals have come inside the box, so it would be good to see if he can work on getting a snapshot off from range.
“But there are definitely traits there that you can see, but there are other parts of his game that he’ll need to improve on if he wants to hit those heights. He is very highly thought of by journalists, coaches, team-mates and people at Spurs, so I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t become a Premier League-level striker.”
The Spurs academy forward has been at Oxford since last August following a somewhat turbulent 2024/25 campaign.
His introduction to senior football began with a red card against Galatasaray in the Europa League, having netted his first senior goal in that very match, before concluding with an underwhelming loan stint at West Brom.
Lankshear failed to find the net during his time at the Hawthorns, yet has gone on to score 10 goals and contribute three assists for Oxford this season. He hit the ground running with three goals in his opening five matches and, despite facing obstacles such as a change in management, he navigated these challenges impressively.
“He seemed quite raw but as the season has gone on, he’s rounded his game quite well,” Obrey said. “He was a little bit more out of the team under Gary Rowett earlier in the season. He was mostly playing in a front two with Nik Prelec and he also quite liked Mark Harris’ work rate.
“So it was tough for any of the strikers to get a run of more than two or three games. For a player like Will Lankshear, he needs to play consistently and in a struggling team, you’re not going to get too many chances.
“Since Matt Bloomfield has come in, he’s established himself as the No.9 and he has become a real fan favourite, the old mantra of ‘never fall in love with a loan player’, I think if an Oxford United fan said they hadn’t, they would be lying.”
Crucially, with Oxford battling to avoid the Championship drop, just under half of his 13 goal contributions have arrived in the club’s last seven fixtures.
Reflecting on his recent displays and ability to deliver when it matters most, Obrey said: “I think he is someone who thrives under pressure and in tense environments. He scored his goal on (Easter) Monday (vs Portsmouth) and just gives it large to the Pompey fans.
“I think the team struggled in that atmosphere but he’s not someone that shrinks under that sort of pressure and he really backs himself. He has missed chances but it’s great that he gets into those positions.
“If worse comes to worse and Spurs go down, he can be someone that has the experience and know how to get into those positions against Championship defenders.”
Irrespective of his technical qualities, Tottenham supporters almost always develop a strong connection with academy products, and it appears highly probable that this will prove true with Lankshear, given the impression he has made during his stint at the Kassam Stadium.
“I don’t think he is the prettiest footballer to watch, but he is a very effective one that will score goals,” Obrey acknowledged. “The one thing that has captivated Oxford United fans is the way he carries himself and the way he speaks – you would not guess that he is on loan.
“He has been all in for the cause. He turned down moves to higher-end Championship teams in January just to see out the season with Oxford. He has a real personality on the pitch, in times where teams are struggling that is huge and if Spurs were to come down and start afresh, he would have an impact.”
Lankshear isn’t the sole Spurs youngster at Oxford, as Jamie Donley joined him at the Kassam Stadium in January. The 21-year-old suffered an injury on his debut approximately two months ago, but has since made a notable impression operating just behind Lankshear.
Discussing his recent performances, Obrey remarked: “The first cameo or two, he eased into it a little bit but he’s been a real glue for the team.
“Oxford went on a three-game winning in March after quite a tough period and it was the same starting XI for those and that winning run coincided with him being picked and being at the heart as the link between midfield and attack.
“It was a real problem for Oxford that no one would be occupying that No.10 area but when he came in, he took that and really owned it. He is someone that has brought dead-ball delivery to the team and I think he got an assist for Lankshear’s goal with a great delivery.
“He’s good on the half-turn and has a great final ball, it is those little things that have given Oxford United goal-scoring opportunities and sometimes goals that maybe they didn’t have before coming into the team.”
With both players earning such glowing assessments, Tottenham appear to have a pair of talents primed to make their mark, whatever division the club finds itself in.
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