This season, the Lilywhites youngster has been in outstanding form with the club’s youth program.
Tottenham Hotspur were not in action in the Premier League over the weekend because their match against Chelsea, which was scheduled for Friday, was postponed.
Instead, their London rivals competed in the League Cup final against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium, giving Ange Postecoglou additional time to work with his team on the training pitch.
The Australian head coach, whose side is now sixth in the Premier League and vying for Champions League football next season, may have had time to observe the U21s.
Tottenham’s U21s won 6-0 at home against Fleetwood’s U21s in the Premier League Cup on Saturday, with its young stars demonstrating their attacking prowess.
Will Lankshear, a brilliant centre-forward, stole the show. The adolescent dynamo scored three goals in the first half, all between the 29th and 39th minutes.
He is a bright young number nine who might become a dangerous partner for creative first-team midfielder James Maddison in the future, especially if Richarlison is unable to maintain his impressive goalscoring form.
Richarlison’s abundant vein of form
The Brazilian international, who joined Spurs from Premier League rivals Everton in the summer of 2022, has had mixed success in North London.
During his debut season in 2022/23, he only scored one goal out of 3.32 Expected Goals and produced three assists in 27 top-flight games for the team.
The projected £60 million signing struggled with the Lilywhites, failing to generate consistent quality in the last third as a scorer or goal maker.
Richarlison similarly had a rough start to the current season, scoring only once in his first 12 Premier League games.
Since then, the 26-year-old striker has scored nine goals in his last ten Premier League appearances, bringing his total to ten in 22 games for Spurs.
| 23/24 Premier League | Richarlison |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 22 |
| Starts | 17 |
| xG | 8.59 |
| Goals | Ten |
| Assists | Three |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
Richarlison has outscored his xG by 1.41, as shown in the table above.
However, his goalless streak at the start of this season, as well as his dismal record in front of goal throughout the 2022/23 campaign, make it difficult to forecast whether he will be a consistent goalscorer for Postecoglou in the long run.
Richarlison has demonstrated the ability to find the back of the goal on a regular basis when in peak form, but he has also demonstrated that at his worst, he can offer little-to-no threat in the final third week after week.
Will Lankshear’s goalscoring ability
With the Brazilian’s future as the club’s number nine uncertain due to his inconsistent form, Postecoglou may already be considering potential long-term replacements to lead his squad.
Spurs may not need to spend millions of pounds on a new centre-forward, since Lankshear’s outstanding performance for the academy implies that he has the potential to develop as a first-team option.
Spurs may not need to spend millions of pounds on a new centre-forward, since Lankshear’s outstanding performance for the academy implies that he has the potential to develop as a first-team option.
The 18-year-old gem scored four goals and provided two assists in five U18 Premier League appearances for Tottenham during the 2022/23 season, earning him a promotion to the U21s.
Lankshear has been exceptional since moving up to that age group, demonstrating his goal-scoring ability on a consistent basis this season.
The England U19 international has scored 13 goals in 14 appearances for the U21s in 2023/24, including 11 goals in 11 Premier League 2 games.
| 23/24 EFL Trophy | Will Lankshear |
|---|---|
| Appearances | Three |
| Starts | Two |
| Goals | Two |
| Assists | One |
| Sofascore rating | 7.23 |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
As shown in the table above, the Spurs teenager impressed in the EFL Trophy earlier this season, scoring three goals and providing two assists in three games against first-team opponents Peterborough, Cambridge, and Colchester.
Lankshear, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claims is “firing” this season, has routinely produced in front of goal for Spurs at the U18 and U21 levels over the last 18 months or so.
This implies that he has the skill and consistency to reach the back of the net week after week, albeit in minor football, but Richarlison has yet to demonstrate that in the first team.
James Maddison’s creative genius
Lankshear’s prospective promotion to the senior squad could be aided by Tottenham possessing one of the greatest creative midfielders in the Premier League in Maddison.
On a regular basis, the England international can open up opposition defences and produce high-quality chances for his teammates.
This means that if Postecoglou pulls him into the first-team in the future, the adolescent striker will have lots of opportunity to showcase his finishing abilities, which may not be the case if the club has a talented creator in the middle of the pitch.
| James Maddison vs attacking midfielders & wingers (via FBref) | |
|---|---|
| 23/24 Premier League (per 90) | Percentile rank |
| Assists (0.44) | Top 5% |
| Shot-creating actions (7.56) | Top 1% |
| Progressive passes (9.54) | Top 1% |
As the table above shows, Maddison is one of the Premier League’s most creative attacking midfielders or wingers per 90 minutes this season.
He has constantly moved the ball forward with his passes, putting his teammates in shooting positions and earning six assists in 15 league games.
The English wizard also generated 12 ‘big chances’ and nine assists in 28 starts for Leicester City in the 2022/23 season.
These statistics indicate that Maddison would be an ideal midfielder to play behind Lankshear, should Postecoglou unleash the 18-year-old striker in the next months or years.
They might form a dangerous combo at the top of the pitch if the U21s star can adapt his goalscoring record to the senior squad, as he has the ability to consistently finish off high-quality chances created by the ex-Norwich master.
