Life without Harry Kane has begun brightly at Tottenham Hotspur, with new boss Ange Postecoglou enjoying an unbeaten start to life in the Premier League to help ease the loss of the talismanic striker.
Trying to move on from their undoubted reliance on the 30-year-old will be no small feat, however, with the club's record scorer having repeatedly been the go-to man for the Lilywhites over the last decade or so, prior to his recent £100m move to Bayern Munich.
Two years on from itching for a switch to rivals Manchester City, the England skipper finally got his wish of a high-profile departure by linking up with former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel in Germany, with that exit coming off the back of a 30-goal season in England's top-flight.
While it is still early days in his time at the Allianz Arena, the experienced marksman has made a smooth transition to date with three goals and one assist from just three Bundesliga outings, offering a further reminder of his qualities.
As for Spurs, a hat-trick for Heung-min Son last time out has ensured that Postecoglou has stumbled across an innovative solution in the number nine berth, although with no out-and-out senior striker coming through the door over the summer, the north Londoners may need to look elsewhere to find a suitable Kane replacement…
Who will replace Kane at Tottenham?
There may still be lingering hope among some that last year's £60m signing, Richarlison, can come good and prove to be the main man in attack at N17, although the former Everton enigma has thus failed to fire with only one league goal for the club to date.
Leicester City
20
20
Everton
17
16
Arsenal
19
14
Southampton
20
12
West Ham
22
11
Crystal Palace
20
11
Stats via Transfermarkt
With it yet to be seen if and when teenage summer signing Alejo Veliz will be offered a chance to impress following his arrival from Argentina, Postecoglou may then wish to look to the academy set-up in order to find a suitable successor to Kane.
One such talent that has been mooted as a possible heir to the Bayern man is 18-year-old, Jamie Donley, with the Northern Ireland-born, England youth international notably scoring 26 goals in just 40 games at U18 level for the club.
A fine start to the new season has seen the promising talent score once and rack up a stellar haul of six assists in just four appearances, albeit while having operated as something of a second striker or attacking midfielder thus far.
If Donley is to find a new home in a creative berth, Postecoglou's striking void could then instead be filled by fellow youngster, Will Lankshear, with the 18-year-old having also caught the eye over the last 12 months or so.
Who is Will Lankshear?
The teenage starlet has been on the books at Hotspur Way since signing from Sheffield United back in August 2022, with the Lilywhites forking out a reported fee of around £2m in order to edge top-flight rivals Brentford to his signature.
That intense interest in the emerging gem had come just a year on from being released by Tottenham's bitter rivals Arsenal, with the man he could look to replace – Kane – having also been foolishly let go by the Gunners in his early academy days.
Much like Spurs' former talisman, it looks as if young Lankshear may leave those at the Emirates ruing their decision to let him go, with Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas writing at the time of his move to N17 that the young Englishman 'is widely considered among the best – if not the best – striker for his age group in England'.
Also hailed as "highly-rated" by Thomas on Twitter, the promising poacher made an instant impression in his new surroundings, notably scoring a hat-trick against West Ham United at Premier League U18 level last season.
With four goals in just five appearances in that competition at the start of 2022/23, it had proven a truly rampant start to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the striker, as he even made his non-competitive first-team debut under Antonio Conte back in December.
Any hopes of building on that senior bow were cruelly curtailed as a knee injury brought his season to a premature end, although it already looks as if the £400-per-week talent is ready to make up for lost time if his early season form is anything to go by.
What does the future hold for Will Lankshear?
Now back fit and firing it may not be too long before Lankshear – who saw his deal extended until 2026 back in May – is properly catching the attention of Postecoglou and his staff, having already scored three goals in just four appearances so far this term.
Speaking following his "phenomenal" beginning at the club last season, Spurs expert John Wenham heaped praise on the new addition, describing him as looking "like a complete out-and-out finisher".
For all Kane's playmaking gifts, it is fair to say that the London-born ace is also truly ruthless and potent weapon when it matters most in front of goal – as his 278 Tottenham goals would illustrate – with the hope being that Lankshear can follow in his footsteps and make the step up sooner rather than later.
As per Wenham, club staff are said to have been "blown away by his finishing levels and his size", with the club having pulled off a "real coup" by snapping him up from the Blades last summer.
Wenham has also noted how impressed he has been by Lankshear's physical prowess as he is "an absolute unit for his age, massive, powerful", indicating that making a step up to the first-team may not represent too much of a daunting prospect.
Although the recent triumph over Burnley showcased that Postecoglou's side can flourish with a more fluid option like Son through the middle, having a focal point like Lankshear who can offer a clinical, golden touch in front of goal would simply be a dream.
With the summer window now at an end, if the former Celtic boss is hoping to find a successor to Kane in the near future, he should certainly be looking the way of the youth ranks before too long.