Sources: Roberto De Zerbi has new plan for Tottenham loanee as return eyed

Tottenham Hotspur are preparing for Will Lankshear to return from his loan spell at Oxford United ahead of pre-season, sources have told Football Insider.

The 21-year-old has enjoyed an impressive loan spell with the Championship club and has recently spoken about how much he loved his time at the U’s.

Spurs have been tracking his progress closely and now plan for him to return to the club before they make any decisions about his long-term future.

As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Transfer Insider podcast, Roberto De Zerbi is keen to assess Lankshear when he returns for pre-season training.

This comes amid ongoing uncertainty about Tottenham’s squad as they fight for Premier League survival ahead of what could be a crucial transfer window for Spurs.

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Football Insider reported on 7 May that Lankshear could be part of De Zerbi’s plans and is working his way towards a return to Spurs thanks to his loan displays.

His loan spell at the Kassam Stadium ended alongside the conclusion of the Championship season, and he will next feature for Tottenham during pre-season.

De Zerbi is planning to assess his level before the start of next season before making a decision about where his future may lie despite interest from elsewhere.

Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: “There’s a number of clubs that are keeping tabs on Lankshear because of how well he did at Oxford on loan.

“Lankshear’s very highly regarded at Tottenham, they feel that he’s got a real chance of making a breakthrough there as well.

“Obviously no decision will be taken on his long-term future until Tottenham have clarity on which division they’re going to be in for next season as well.

“He will go back to Tottenham for pre-season and he’ll be hoping to impress Roberto de Zerbi in pre-season when he will have a chance to show what he can do.

“But until Tottenham know where they’re going to be, there’ll be no decisions made on any players.”

While Spurs plan to assess Lankshear’s situation upon his return from his loan spell, there are a number of clubs across England hoping to lure him away.

After a successful spell in the Championship, there have been a number of clubs in the second tier looking to lure him away since the January window.

Football Insider revealed in March that Tottenham rejected offers for Lankshear from the likes of Ipswich and Middlesbrough during the mid-season window.

They instead allowed him to remain settled and continue his progress at Oxford, but the interest in his signature is not believed to have faded.

Meanwhile, Premier League clubs including Leeds United have been linked with moves for the striker with a big decision set to be made by De Zerbi.

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