Will Lankshear has established himself as one of the most promising young strikers in the country since leaving Tottenham Hotspur to join Middlesbrough.

Jamie O'Hara believes Tottenham Hotspur should never have sold Will Lankshear.

Middlesbrough signed the 21-year-old from the Lilywhites in the summer, agreeing a deal worth an initial £10m, plus an additional £10m in potential add-ons. Lankshear has since established himself as one of the most promising young strikers in the country, firing the Teesside outfit to the top of the Championship.

He's scored 13 goals in just as many appearances, including two more in three Carabao Cup outings. Although Spurs do not have a buy-back clause in Lankshear's contract, which keeps him at the Riverside Stadium until June 2031, football.london understands that they do have a 20 per cent sell-on clause and matching rights on any future bids.

Speaking recently on Sky Sports, O'Hara described the sale of the England Under-21 international as a 'nightmare scenario' for Tottenham. The former Lilywhites midfielder said: "We’ve got a problem up front - that’s my concern.

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"We’ve got a massive problem up front. [Dominic] Solanke’s not doing it, Richarlison is not even registered, sold Will Lankshear, and now I’m starting to look at it and think, ‘well unless we score from a set-piece or a moment of brilliance, where are the goals coming from?’

"Who’s getting us 15 goals? They sold Will Lankshear and that for me is looking like a bit of a nightmare scenario. He’s gone to Middlesbrough and is banging in the goals and performing really well.

"I think, at the moment, he looks like a player that could have really done a job for us, even if it was just someone who could come off the bench.

"He looks like a handful, has good feet, knows where the goal is, makes good runs. And I know he was highly thought of at Spurs, so I’m really surprised they did get rid of him."

When asked whether Lankshear would start for Roberto De Zerbi's side, O'Hara said: "It’s a good question [would he be starting at Spurs?]. I think if he was playing like he has been for Middlesbrough - and I know it’s the Championship - but I think he probably would start.

"Solanke is nowhere near good enough at the moment; he needs to be way better. Whereas Will Lankshear looks like a player we’ve let go and might be one we might regret.

"I know there’s a need to balance the books and selling youngsters gets you 100 per cent profit and all that kind of stuff. That’s ridiculous if you ask me - to have to do that to stay within FFP rules.

"But Will Lankshear, for me, looks like a player that we should never have let go..."

Johan Lange will be expected to enter the market for a new striker in the upcoming transfer window, with Solanke falling short of expectations, Omar Marmoush better suited to a support role, and Richarlison exiled from the squad.