Spurs can ease West Ham pain by gifting the Hammers a 12-goal golden ticket | OneFootball

West Ham United should look to sign Will Lankshear from Tottenham Hotspur this summer following relegation

West Ham United’s fate is sealed, as the Hammers will be playing Championship football for the first time in over a decade next season, with Nuno Espirito Santo the person tasked with guiding them back to the top-flight at the first time of asking.

West Ham finished the 2025/26 campaign on 39 points, which, more often than not, is usually enough to avoid the drop. But not this time.

In fact, only three sides have ever been relegated on more points, that being West Ham in 2003 on 42 points, and the others being Bolton Wanderers in 1998 and Sunderland in 1997, both finishing on 40 points.

Despite a 3-0 home victory on the final day over Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over Everton meant that the Hammers faced the drop regardless of their result, with their London rivals staying up at their expense.

It’s set to be a busy summer in terms of incomings and outgoings at the London Stadium, with the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville, and Mateus Fernandes expected to collect significant fees on their way out.

Callum Wilson has already left the club following the expiry of his contract, whilst both Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe likely have few intentions of sticking around in the second tier, as Nuno will almost certainly be targeting a new centre-forward this summer, and should turn to Spurs for a favour to soften the blow of relegation for one of their brightest stars.

West Ham United should target Tottenham Hotspur’s Will Lankshear this summer to soften the relegation blow

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West Ham and centre-forwards do not go hand-in-hand, with the Hammers historically having had some diabolical luck when it comes to that position over the years.

The likes of Simone Zaza, Jordan Hugill, Modibo Maiga, Albian Ajeti, and Jonathan Calleri have all graced either Upton Park or the London Stadium with their presence over the years, and with a whopping £16.7 million spent, 90 appearances, and eight goals between them, it would be fair the suggest that they haven’t had the best of luck when it comes to that position, and that’s without mentioning the £45 million spent on Sebastien Haller or £35.5 million spent on Gianluca Scamacca.

Michail Antonio, signed in 2015 and left in 2025, was frequently relied upon despite numerous attempts to replace him, and following his departure, they have yet to fill the void.

Nuno will be looking for a centre-forward or two to battle it out for a place up top at the London Stadium next season, and the Portuguese boss should look to his former club and relegation beneficiaries, Spurs, for a favour in the form of Will Lankshear.

Lankshear, 21, just spent the season on loan with Oxford United in the Championship from Spurs, scoring 12 and assisting four in 47 appearances across all competitions.

His performances, despite his best efforts, were not enough to help get the U's afloat in the second tier, but despite this, he has come away from his spell at the Kassam Stadium with a huge degree of credit in the bank.

The Englishman attracted interest from both Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough during the January window, but he opted to stay put at Oxford to help the club in their relegation battle.

Now, the striker is set to return to Spurs this summer, where Roberto De Zerbi will take a closer look at him before deciding on his immediate future, with Lankshear potentially playing a role in the Italian's side next season.

He will have to overcome the likes of Dominic Solanke, Richarlison, Randal Kolo Muani, and Mathys Tel for a place up top, but he will get the opportunity to prove his worth during pre-season.

Should Spurs decide to loan him out once more, or even sanction a permanent exit, West Ham ought to be one of the first teams in the queue for his signature this summer.

With Wilson having already left, and Castellanos and Pablo likely to depart sooner rather than later, this leaves Nuno without any recognised centre-forward in their ranks.

Lankshear, fresh off the back of an excellent loan spell with Oxford, is ready to take the next step, and he could be an incredible addition at the London Stadium this summer, whether that be a loan or permanent switch.

Nuno Espirito Santo will be on the hunt for his new centre-forward option this summer and must consider Will Lankshear

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When Nuno romped to the Championship title in 2018 with Wolverhampton Wanderers, he had the likes of Diogo Jota, Leo Bonatini, Ivan Cavaleiro, Benik Afobe, and Helder Costa in attack.

This time around, with West Ham, he will be hoping for similar, if not more, firepower to elevate the Hammers' hopes of an immediate return to the top-flight.

There remains hope that Bowen will stick around despite relegation, which could be one of their best bits of business during the entire summer if he does so, but Nuno will be hoping to strengthen rather than weaken despite the position the club finds itself in.