Will Lankshear to Middlesbrough transfer truth emerges - it looks a bargain right now | OneFootball

Middlesbrough are only committed to spending £8m to Spurs for Will Lankshear, although it could reach £20m if add-ons are met.

Middlesbrough spent an initial £8m as part of their agreement to sign Will Lankshear from Tottenham in the summer.

It was a hectic window for the Teesside outfit following their play-off final defeat to Hull City at Wembley, with Hayden Hackney moving to Everton.

The midfielder was destined to play at the highest level, so his sale felt inevitable, but that initial £18.5m, combined with sell-on clauses for Djed Spence and particularly Morgan Rogers, meant Middlesbrough were in a position to splash the cash.

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Will Lankshear has enjoyed a brilliant start to life at Middlesbrough

To their credit, Boro did that, and they sealed several eye-catching deals to boost Kim Hellberg’s squad for the 2026/27 campaign, and the early results suggest they have done a fine job.

Whilst a lot of the new recruits have made an instant impact, arguably the standout addition has been Will Lankshear, who had caught the eye on loan at Oxford United before leaving Spurs in a permanent deal for the Teessiders.

Boro were guilty of missing several huge chances throughout the run-in during last season, which ultimately cost them a top two finish.

So, bringing in a reliable number nine was always a priority, and Lankshear has hit the ground running since joining from Tottenham, showing remarkable form with a series of strikes to get the campaign underway.

Further details emerge on Middlesbrough’s deal for Will Lankshear

Yet, with reports claiming Boro had agreed to pay up to £20m, it’s fair to say that there was an expectation for Lankshear to do just that, as he was one of the biggest transfers across the entire league.

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But, in a potential twist, Sky Sports have shared details on the format of the deal, and they claim the Teesside outfit are only guaranteed to pay an initial £8m to the Londoners.

Whilst they add that the eventual cost could reach £20m, they explain that some of the clauses are unrealistic, with one payment due if Lankshear ever plays for Middlesbrough in the Champions League.

So, they’re unlikely to ever pay the full £20m, and even though the full list of add-ons isn’t listed, it’s going to be linked to Boro’s success, which means they won’t mind paying those sums if they reach the Premier League.

Middlesbrough deserve credit for their summer transfer window

It’s still early days, but Boro look like genuine automatic promotion contenders, and the recruitment team should be praised for going out to address their glaring issues this summer.

As mentioned, they were desperately lacking a number nine, but they also brought in a new keeper, centre-back and a replacement for Hackney.

That was part of a busy summer spend, but, as the Lankshear deal shows, Boro have structured the payments in a very intelligent way.

Staying with Lankshear, if Middlesbrough do end up paying anywhere near £20m, the reality is that the team will have won promotion, and he will have scored a lot of goals, in which case the fee will be a bargain!

The same will apply to the likes of Radek Vitek, Ashley Phillips and Sebastian Berhalter, and Boro are making it incentive-based to ensure they only pay big fees if the players deliver on the pitch.

Again, it’s too soon to get carried away, but Middlesbrough