Oxford united FC
Spurs striker Will Lankshear wanted by Premier League clubs
Lankshear finished off a superb loan spell at relegated Oxford with a 47th appearance for the Championship side in Saturday’s 2-0 loss at Millwall.
While the 21-year-old was unable to keep Oxford up, the England Under-21 striker scored 12 goals and provided four assists during a successful season-long loan to catch the eye of numerous clubs in England and abroad, the Press Association understands.
Former Arsenal youngster Lankshear is due to return to Hotspur Way for end-of-season testing before a well-earned rest.
Any decision on Lankshear’s long-term future at Tottenham will not take place until there is clarity over which division the club will be in for the 2026-27 campaign, but there is optimism about his prospects under Roberto De Zerbi, PA understands.
Antonio Conte was the first Tottenham head coach to work with Lankshear after his arrival from Sheffield United in 2022 and gave him a debut in a friendly fixture with Nice after the winter World Cup.
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However, Ange Postecoglou presented Lankshear with his breakthrough during the 2024-25 campaign and the all-action forward scored on an eventful night against Galatasaray in the Europa League where he silenced the Rams Park crowd before he earned an unfortunate second yellow card.
New Oxford United chairman Dusan Bogdanovic pictured here with U’s owner Erick Thohir and FIFA president Gianni Infantino in December 2024. 🤝
(via @dusan.ph on Instagram) #oufc 🟡https://t.co/hnkQLRsx5e pic.twitter.com/1Rylrf07Lu
— malachi (@MalachiObrey) May 6, 2026
Lankshear then scored the first goal of the ill-fated Thomas Frank era at Spurs last July in a friendly at Reading before he was sent on loan to Oxford despite other Championship options.
A run of three goals in his first five matches quickly endeared Lankshear to the Oxford faithful alongside his wholehearted displays, but Gary Rowett was dismissed by the U’s in December.
Middlesbrough were one of several clubs eager to sign Lankshear in January, but the forward wanted to stay at Oxford to help in their relegation battle and quickly gained the trust of Matt Bloomfield.
After Lankshear produced a stunning brace against Sheffield Wednesday last month, Bloomfield said: “His finishing, dedication to his craft and single-minded desire to be the best he can be, I think he’s a credit to himself. There’s so much to admire about him and he’s going to go to the top.”
Lankshear has often drawn comparisons to Tottenham’s all-time leading scorer Harry Kane given his predatory finishing ability along with a similar route into the professional game after being rejected by Arsenal.
After Lankshear this season bettered Kane’s own goalscoring tally from Championship loans with Millwall and Leicester, the young forward will wait to discover whether he gets a chance at Spurs or if another summer move away will follow.
Oxford United travel to Leyton Orient for the first round of the Carabao Cup and Aaron Ramsey’s first competitive match in charge.
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The 32-year-old became the third player to leave the club after United were hit with a temporary transfer ban at the beginning of July.
Vaulks joined Nik Prelec and Ole Romeny – who left on loan- in departing the club this summer, returning to the club where he spent his academy career, Tranmere Rovers.
Dropping down to League Two, the former Wales international leaves Oxford after two years in the Championship with the club, playing 88 times for the Yellows and scoring twice.
The former Oxford midfielder was left out of the U’s squad in their final pre-season friendly, a 2-0 win over Premier League side Ipswich Town, and went on to be announced as a Tranmere player on Monday evening.
United head coach Ramsey opened up on Vaulks’ departure in his press conference before the club’s first competitive fixture of the season, an away trip to Leyton Orient in the Carabao Cup.
“We had some honest conversations with Will and the opportunity came up for him to pursue his new opportunity there,” the 35-year-old Yellows boss said.
“I mean, he’s been great for this club and what he’s done on and off the field here has been remarkable.
“We just wish Will the best of luck now going forward.”
A statement from Oxford included the message: “On behalf of everyone at Oxford United, thank you Will.
“We wish you all the best with your future and we will continue to drive your important work forward.”
From the Wirral, Vaulks moves closer to home by joining Darrell Clarke’s side.
Upon joining Rovers, the centre midfielder said: “I’m grateful to be back.
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“I spent 10 years at the club, but never played a first team game, so this is a move that has been on my mind for a number of years now.
“I really wanted to come back to my boyhood club.
“I made it clear that I wasn’t going anywhere else, other than to Tranmere, it was the club I wanted to join.
“I’m a Wirral boy and I can’t wait to give everything for the club.”
As well as contributing on the pitch for Oxford, Vaulks made a huge impact off it, using his personal story to establish the award-winning Can We Talk? suicide prevention campaign.
He was nationally and internationally recognised for his campaigning, winning awards including the FIFPRO Player Voice and was recently named PFA Community Player of the Year.
The 2026/27 EFL Cup supercomputer forecast, combining mathematical probability algorithms and agentic AI, suggests the Yellows will defeat Leyton Orient 2-1 at Brisbane Road.
This will be Ramsey’s first competitive fixture since taking charge.
The computer model – conducted by Andy’s Bet Club – anticipates several other first-round outcomes, including Rochdale, recently promoted from the National League, surprising Bradford City with a penalty shootout victory.
In the southern section of the competition, League Two’s Barnet are expected to beat Cambridge United, who are a league higher.
The supercomputer also foresees victories for West Ham United, Birmingham City, Burnley, and Wolves, all advancing unscathed to the second round.
On the other hand, Oxford’s fierce rivals, Swindon Town, are predicted to exit in the first round, losing 2-0 to Championship side Cardiff City.
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The first round of the EFL Cup, for the first time in six years, is set to take place before the start of the league season.
The supercomputer predicts that West Ham United will be the last remaining EFL team in the competition, bowing out in the quarter-finals against Chelsea.
The eventual winners, according to the supercomputer, will be Manchester City, claiming their 10th title.
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