There have been rather concerning murmurs out of Tottenham Hotspur regarding Roberto De Zerbi's opinion on some of the club's brightest young talents.
The Italian has committed to a long-term project in north London, signing a five-year deal back in March. After working a minor miracle to keep the club up, De Zerbi has helped convince the hierarchy to embark on a mammoth summer splurge. £230m has been spent on three players, in addition to another three arriving as free agents; swiftly reinventing a squad that needed (and still needs) serious work.
There's no denying that Spurs are in a far better position now than they were two months ago. Already, pundits are suggesting that De Zerbi could push the Lilywhites back towards the Premier League's top-five next season.
The short-term outlook is certainly positive, but history suggests that De Zerbi won't be around for the long haul. Thus, we must preserve our long-term interests. We cannot allow the Italian to ditch our most gifted young senior players for the sake of immediate gain.
There are plenty he reportedly doesn't fancy, from Mathys Tel to Lucas Bergvall, but one youngster who may get a chance to impress in pre-season and beyond is striker Will Lankshear.
Will Lankshear is generating transfer buzz after successful loan
The club has done a grand job extracting sizeable fees for Luka Vušković, whose £50m move to Brighton & Hove Albion has been made official, and Alfie Devine, Preston North End's new record signing. The pair were not a part of De Zerbi's short-term plans, and both want to play. Selling them was the only option this summer.
Regarding Lankshear, it's not yet clear what the plan is. Spurs are expected to bolster their attack in a big way before the window slams shut, but there hasn't been an attacking addition to date.
We're expecting Richarlison to move on, which would leave Dominic Solanke as the only natural centre-forward option. It seems as if De Zerbi wants to have a look at Lankshear in pre-season.
The 21-year-old scored 11 times for a relegated Oxford United team in the Championship last season, claiming the club's Golden Boot and Young Player of the Year awards. It was a successful loan, no doubt, and plenty of suitors have emerged this summer.
Alasdair Gold reports that Spurs have rejected advances from Sporting CP, Southampton and Wolves for Lankshear, with eight-figure transfer fees supposedly discusses.
There's scope for Spurs to bank a healthy profit on the striker, who joined in a £2m deal from Sheffield United four years ago. I'd be surprised if he were in the first team picture next season, given the level of interest in his services next summer.
The Lilywhites are merely waiting for the right offer to come along.
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