While Spurs struggle, John Wenham brands Tottenham’s Lankshear sale an utter disaster

Spurs are grappling with a lack of consistent centre‑forward threat, yet Will Lankshear is thriving in the Championship, netting eight goals in eleven games for Middlesbrough. John Wenham, speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, says the summer sale was an "utter disaster" for Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs’ dwindling options up front

Wenham highlighted the questionable depth at Tottenham after Lankshear’s departure. He noted that Richarlison has been excluded, leaving only Dominic Solanke, who appears “devoid of confidence”. Mathys Tel also lacks belief, whether on the left wing or as a striker, and Marmoush seems better suited to a number‑10 role or the wing.

The former striker’s exit, Wenham argued, leaves Spurs with a thin attacking line‑up, forcing reliance on players who are not fully convinced of their roles.

Lankshear’s resurgence in the second tier

Since joining Middlesbrough, the 21‑year‑old has scored eight goals across eleven appearances in all competitions, establishing himself as one of the Championship’s most lethal young finishers.

His form mirrors his academy record, where he claimed the Premier League 2 Golden Boot with eighteen goals in nineteen matches during the 2023–24 season.

Wenham stressed that Lankshear is English, supports the club and possesses the ideal build for a De Zerbi system, making his permanent exit all the more baffling.

Tottenham opted to cash in on his market value rather than integrate him into the senior squad, a decision now under intense scrutiny as the club continues to search for fluidity in its front line.

“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 concluded, “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.”