Will Lankshear is rapidly emerging as one of the Championship's most eye-catching finds, and his rise is prompting uncomfortable questions back at Tottenham Hotspur, the club that let him leave over the summer.
The 21-year-old striker netted his ninth goal in just 12 appearances for Middlesbrough on Saturday, rising to head home Tommy Conway's cross to secure a 1-0 win over Wolves. The finish was another display of the predatory instincts that have quickly made him a fan favourite at the Riverside Stadium.
Lankshear's goal tally already matches the combined output of Tottenham's entire squad in the same period. While Boro sit in the automatic promotion places in the Championship, Spurs remain stuck in the Premier League relegation zone. Dominic Solanke did find a late equaliser at Manchester United on the same day, but that strike was notably the first league goal scored by a Tottenham forward in five months.
Tottenham sold Lankshear to Middlesbrough in the summer in a deal worth an initial fee of around £10m, with a further £10m available through add-ons - potentially making it a club-record sale for Boro. The transfer has left a section of the Tottenham fanbase questioning the logic behind the decision.
"A lot of fans are wondering why he was sold," said Ali Speechly, co-chair of the Women of the Lane supporters' group. "It was likely to do with money - his sell-on price is relatively high, so let's cash in on him. I was definitely disappointed. Given how badly we have started this season, as a fan it feels like the wrong decision."
Lankshear had impressed on loan at Oxford United last season, scoring 12 league goals despite the club's relegation from the Championship. Before that, he netted 23 times for Tottenham's under-23 side in the 2023-24 Premier League 2 campaign and featured in the Europa League, including a memorable match against Galatasaray where he scored and was later sent off.
Former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes the move was the right one for the player's development. "If you are a young kid at a club where you are not getting any first-team football and you get the opportunity to go and play men's football, you should go," Robinson said. "If you are 21, 22 or 23 and still mostly playing in the under-23s then you have missed the boat. Getting first-team football is the best grounding you can get."
Middlesbrough, who fell short in the play-offs last season after scoring just once across three matches, identified a need for a clinical presence to convert the chances created by Kim Hellberg's side. BBC Tees commentator Mark Drury praised Lankshear's natural goalscoring sense. "What people have been impressed with is his instinctive finishing - one touch, just being in the right place," Drury said. "He seems to have the all-round package - good with both feet and in the air."
Comparisons to Harry Kane have followed Lankshear, given his similar height, build and career trajectory through Tottenham's academy and loan spells before breaking through in senior football. Robinson acknowledged the parallels, though Speechly was more cautious: "I don't think we will ever get another Kane, but there are definitely similarities. He is a real poacher and has a strong work ethic. It is very Kane-esque."
Tottenham retain a right to be informed of and match any future offer for Lankshear, along with a 20% cut of any profit from a future sale, but have no guaranteed buy-back option. Lankshear has also recently earned a call-up to the England under-21s, scoring on his debut, with speculation growing about a potential path to the senior squad should his form continue.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.