Tottenham Hotspur could be left watching Will Lankshear’s rapid rise from afar after it emerged they do not hold a buy-back option on the Middlesbrough striker.
Spurs can still protect their interests to a degree, but there is no automatic route back to north London for the in-form 21-year-old.
TEAMtalk understands the summer transfer includes a “matching-right” arrangement, meaning Tottenham may match another club’s offer. That safeguard is not a buy-back clause, however, and does not oblige Boro to sell should interest arrive.
The distinction looks increasingly important. Lankshear has hit 10 goals in 11 starts, scoring on his England Under-21 debut and attracting a growing list of admirers.
Middlesbrough believe his development remains best served at the Riverside, where he hopes to reach the Premier League. For Spurs, any future reunion could now mean competing in a market they no longer control.
