Tottenham’s sale of Will Lankshear has been branded an “utter disaster” by Spurs expert John Wenham, with the striker having scored eight goals in 11 appearances for Middlesbrough.
The 21-year-old forward has made an immediate impact in the Championship after leaving north London, while Tottenham have struggled to find consistency in the centre-forward position.
Wenham believes Spurs weakened their attacking options by allowing Lankshear to depart, particularly with Richarlison being left out of contention and Dominic Solanke and Mathys Tel lacking confidence.
“It does [look silly] when you exclude Richarlison out of choice as well, because it basically means all we have got now is a Dominic Solanke that’s devoid of confidence, Mathys Tel is devoid of confidence either on the left wing or as a striker, and I think Marmoush is better suited playing as a 10 or off the wing than as a striker,” Wenham said.
He added: “We have actually let go of a striker that is bang in confidence, that’s got the correct build to be a striker, especially in a De Zerbi system. He’s English, he supports the club, and he’s scoring goals for fun, it doesn’t just look like a mistake, it looks like an utter disaster to have moved Lankshear on.”
Will Lankshear sale questioned as Middlesbrough form continues
Lankshear’s start at Middlesbrough has intensified the scrutiny on Tottenham’s decision. His eight goals have established him among the most prolific young finishers in the second tier, according to the assessment in Wenham’s criticism.
The forward had already shown his goalscoring ability in Tottenham’s academy, winning the Premier League 2 Golden Boot after scoring 18 times in 19 appearances during the 2023–24 campaign.
Despite that record and his natural instincts in the penalty area, Tottenham opted to capitalise on his market value rather than bring him into the senior squad. His strong early form at Middlesbrough has now prompted renewed questions over the club’s summer squad management.
