Birmingham City have seen a bid for Fulham striker Jay Stansfield rejected by the Premier League club after the Blues submitted a record-breaking bid for the forward to sway him towards a return to St Andrew’s.
Stansfield was on loan at the club during their Championship relegation season last campaign and was a fan favourite, as evidenced after his goal against Chris Davies’ side in the EFL Cup earlier this week, with Blues fans singing his name when he found the scoresheet early for Fulham.
The striker has been linked with a return to the club despite interest from the Championship earlier in this transfer window. However, the League One side’s hopes of a return for the young forward have been dashed with Fulham responding to the bid submitted this morning.
Birmingham City rebuffed by Fulham.
As revealed this morning, the Blues had submitted a bid for the striker worth £9 million. That would have seen the club break the League One transfer record for a third time this window. The arrivals of Christophe Klarer and Willium Williumson, both for £4 million, broke Sunderland’s record of £3.4 million for Will Grigg during the Black Cats’ time in League One.
Birmingham were willing to obliterate that transfer record, more than doubling their £4 million signings with their £9 million bid for Stansfield. Sunderland’s record remains safe for now, as it has been revealed that Premier League side Fulham have rejected that bid.
After two signings, do Birmingham City need a new striker?
Championship clubs could be on alert after the rejected bid for Stansfield, but there may be some who would not be able to afford the fee that Birmingham has already fronted for the striker. Alfie May has already settled in at St Andrew’s, continuing his usual goalscoring antics in League One with his third club in three years in the third tier.
Stoke City had been linked with a move for Stansfield earlier in the window, but it remains to be seen whether they return with an offer for the Englishman after plenty of incoming at the Bet 365 Stadium this summer.
A forward would not seem high on the list after the arrival of Lyndon Dykes from QPR this week and have today made Celtic’s Scott Wright their 15th signing of the summer. Chris Davies was denied a reunion with Tottenham’s Alfie Devine after a loan deal collapsed for the midfielder.
Regardless of whether or not they need a striker, it is unclear if the Blues will return with a new offer for the Fulham man, who has four years remaining on his contract at Craven Cottage.