Middlesbrough are set to win the £20m race to sign Tottenham forward Will Lankshear

Middlesbrough are set to win the race to sign Tottenham forward Will Lankshear, the Press Association understands.

Lankshear, 21, earned plaudits during a successful loan at Oxford in the 2025-26 season where he scored 12 times in 47 appearances and gained interest from clubs in England and overseas. Ex-Sheffield United striker Lankshear remained hopeful of being given a chance by Spurs this summer after an excellent campaign in the Championship, but with a pathway to the senior set-up blocked, he has been allowed to leave after an agreement for a package which could rise to £20million was reached, PA understands.

Personal terms are still to be agreed, but after Middlesbrough attempted to sign Lankshear in January, Boro boss Kim Hellberg looks likely to finally get his man. Last season’s Championship play-off finalists Middlesbrough are set to pay an initial £10m for the highly-rated Lankshear with a further £10m included in the deal in add-ons.

Tottenham are expected to ensure a sell-on clause and a matching rights option are part of a transfer, which is set to be concluded this week before the Premier League club head off on a pre-season tour to New Zealand and Australia on Thursday.

Lankshear would become the latest Spurs player developed by the club’s academy to exit this summer after 18-year-old Tynan Thompson joined Manchester United on Monday and Alfie Devine left for Preston earlier in July.