Report: Spurs agree £2m purchase of Sheffield youngster Will Lankshear

Tottenham Hotspur have apparently made a new signing, but it’s not likely one you’ll see on its official social media channels. According to the Sky Sports transfer tracker and Lyall Thomas, Spurs have acquired a new player for their academy — 17-year old striker Will Lankshear, whom they’ve signed for £2m from Sheffield United.

So who is this kid? Buddy, I couldn’t tell you. He’s literally a child, doesn’t have a FBRef profile, and the only stats on Transfermarkt are two FA Youth Cup appearances last season for a total of 8 minutes.

But people smarter than me say that he is, in fact, highly rated, and if the youth academy brains at Brentford (one of the smartest youth setups in the league) wanted snag and develop him, that probably implies that he’s got some talent. In fact, this is exactly the kind of lottery ticket signing that Spurs should be making on the regular. Most of them probably won’t develop into a Premier League caliber player, but developing burgeoning young talent and then flipping these kids for small profits is still a worthwhile endeavor. And once in a while, you’ll unearth a Troy Parrott, or a Dane Scarlett, or a Harry Kane. It’s worth shooting your shot on kids like [checks notes] Will Lankshear.

So hooray for more youth! The lad has a name that makes him sound like a store brand playwright, but apparently he can play right. Good for him, and Spurs!