Stoke City have opened talks for Fulham forward Jay Stansfield as local rivals Birmingham City are said to have cooled their interest in the former loan star.
Stansfield is highly rated at Fulham as Marco Silva’s side look to fend off interest from multiple clubs in the EFL for the 21-year-old. Chris Davies’ Blues side have long been rumoured to seek a return to St Andrew’s for the striker after his exploits in the Championship last season with the relegated side.
However, Fulham are now said to be open to the sale of Stansfield this summer, with loan exits said to have been the most likely possibility.
Stoke City move ahead with striker talks.
The Potters are moving forward with talks to bring Stansfield to the bet365 Stadium this summer. As reported by Football Insider, those talks have been brought on by Birmingham City cooling their interest in a return for the striker, with the clubs said to have been locked in discussions over a move worth £6 million.
Steven Schumacher is looking to bolster his attacking options as they look to push towards the top half of the table after spending much of last season embroiled in the relegation battle. They have already done so by bringing in exciting Liverpool forward Lewis Koumas.
Is Stoke City the next destination for Stansfield?
While Birmingham City are pushing for an immediate return to the Championship with a budget that most of League One would find hard to keep up with, excluding the likes of Wrexham, yesterday’s result showed there is still work to be done.
The Blues have spent freely in the transfer market, but the control they took in their opening game with Reading was not enough to take three points, with Alfie May having to convert late from the spot to snatch a point.
After beating Championship clubs to the likes of Marc Leonard, the ambition of the club’s project to return to the Championship and push on from there could be identified as the key to these signings. However, the display yesterday could sway Stansfield to a club like Stoke, a club already in the second tier and could offer him an immediate starting spot. A move to Birmingham City could see the young forward end up playing second fiddle to Alfie May.
Could Stansfield do it again in the Championship for Stoke?
The striker showed he was capable last season with Birmingham City, netting 13 goals, which was not enough to save them from relegation on the final day of the campaign.
But after an impressive loan spell with the Blues, the next question is can he do it again and prove his consistency in the second tier? A drop to the third tier could be considered the easy answer and would be a huge drop after the season he enjoyed previously.
Stoke could offer Stansfield plenty of game time as a starter as they look to boost their return in front of goal, with no prolific options for him to compete with. The 21-year-old shows plenty of potential, as displayed by Fulham’s reluctance to sell. A loan spell or a permanent deal would be a coup signing for Stoke after making one statement with the signing of talented defender Bosun Lawal.