So far this window we’ve seen several of Tottenham Hotspur’s young players head out on loan this fall — Alejo Veliz, Dane Scarlett, Ashley Phillips, and Alfie Devine have left for valuable first team minutes, with Jamie Donley set for a loan to Leyton Orient shortly.
That same opportunity may not be presented to Will Lankshear this fall. According to George Sessions, writing for the Irish Times, BIG WILLY LANKS is set to stay with Tottenham’s first team setup this fall and NOT head out on loan like his contemporaries.
#thfc Little update on Will Lankshear. Told as things stand, Lankshear will stay part of Ange Postecoglou’s first-team squad. Could change come deadline day but after an impressive pre-season where he leapfrogged Scarlett & Veliz, Will set to stick around https://t.co/IvRhAztHVO
— George Sessions (@GeorgeSessions) August 15, 2024
Interesting! Lankshear was one of the standout youngsters from Tottenham’s preseason matches, along with Mikey Moore who was arguably better and also just turned 17. You’d argue that Lankshear would be the MOST obvious one to send out for first team experience, and that he’d likely get the highest and best loan available, probably to the Championship or to the continent somewhere with a real team. Instead he’s apparently going to stick around, train with Spurs, and remain on the fringes of the first team, picking up odd substitute minutes and maybe the occasional U23 PL2 match.
So it does beg the question — is this good or not? On the one hand I think there’s every expectation that Young Mssr. Lankshear could get about 400 minutes or so in a reserve role between the league and the early round cup and Europa matches, depending on the opponent, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But Lankshear could easily get at least 1500-2000 minutes on loan in a slightly lower division, starting and playing regularly at 19 against grown-ass men.
I am not a professional football coach so I’m really not sure which one I prefer. However, I suspect that this decision says more about Tottenham’s existing team than it does about Big Willy Lanks. My best guess is that this decision is a hedge against one (or both?) of Dominic Solanke or Richarlison picking up an extended injury this season. If Richy were to go down injured again, Ange Postecoglou could opt to move Son Heung-Min back into a striker position — something he seems reluctant to do, play Dejan Kulusevski as a false 9, or move a player like Brennan Johnson central if required.
Or, and this is wild, he could enhance the role of a very promising 19-year-old natural striker who looks like he has the potential to become international level, and giving him an opportunity to forge himself in the crucible of Premier League-level football (or at least Europa League-level).
I can see the logic of keeping Lankshear around as a break-glass-in-case-Richy-is-broken option. And if things work out great and Richarlison turns out not to be perma-crocked, well, he still gets 400 or so minutes of first team action with Spurs, and has the option of then heading out on loan in January.
You can argue what you think is better. It’s a bold strategy, Cotton — let’s see how it plays out for them.
