Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Wed 27 May 2026 16:10, UK

Tottenham Hotspur fans have been given another glimpse of Will Lankshear as he steps up his preparations for a return to North London.

The 20-year-old joined Oxford United on loan last summer and played a key role as Matt Bloomfield’s side battled to stay up.

That fight ultimately ended in relegation to League One, but the outcome could have been far worse without the on-loan forward.

Lankshear struck 12 times over the course of the Championship season to finish comfortably as the club’s top scorer, with Cameron Brannagan the next best on six.

Now, as he continues to build up to pre-season training, the forward has even drawn comparisons with Tottenham icon Harry Kane.

Harry Kane comparison made as Will Lankshear does hard yards ahead of Tottenham return

After winning promotion to the Championship in 2024, Oxford exceeded expectations and stayed competitive in the second tier for two seasons.

In a team fighting near the foot of the table, the Tottenham loanee emerged as a talismanic presence during his time at the club.

Ahead of his return for pre-season, Lankshear has been training with former Tottenham, QPR and Aston Villa Women’s coach Scott Chickelday, who specialises in coaching strikers through his SC9 Striker Coach setup.

Despite the weather this week, Lankshear did not miss the session, with coach Chickelday saying: “Hard work never stops!

“Looking to build on what was a very good season for him,” he said. Before a Spurs fan in the comments took the chance to describe Lankshear as the “next Harry Kane.”

With this being the one comment Chickelday replied to under the post, the coach said: “100 per cent.”

Should Will Lankshear be in line for Tottenham chance?

It has been a dismal season for the Lilywhites, who only secured their survival on the final day.

Even so, integrating him should remain a priority – not necessarily as a regular starter, but as an impact option from the bench and an occasional starter.

Tottenham also face several major decisions regarding the return of loanees Mikey Moore and Luka Vuskovic, who could be heading back to Hamburg on loan.

If Lankshear is to go out on loan, the priority should be finding a Championship club with genuine promotion ambitions.

He has already shown he can perform in a side fighting relegation – one that created the second-fewest chances in the division, with just 70 – for context, champions Coventry created 129.

A well-chosen loan move would benefit him if he is not going to receive meaningful first-team minutes.