Birmingham City lifeline could be handed out if Star Player leaves

admin | December 21, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Ipswich Town are interested in the Fulham loanee.Birmingham City’s recent form has been dismal under Wayne Rooney, with only two wins in 11 league games.Jay Stansfield, on loan from Fulham, has been an important player for Birmingham this season, scoring twice.Ipswich Town have expressed interest in signing Stansfield, which may have an impact on Scott Hogan’s future at Birmingham, since he may be relied on more for goal-scoring if Stansfield goes.

For those who support Birmingham City, the last several months have been difficult.

Since Wayne Rooney took over as Blues manager in October to replace John Eustace, the Midlands team has won only two of their 11 league games while losing seven.

That streak has seen them drop out of the Championship play-off places and down to 17th in the second-tier league, 10 points back of the top six and six points clear of the relegation zone.

Following the recent speculations regarding Jay Stansfield, it appears that the club could be dealt another blow during the January transfer window.

Ipswich Town are interested in signing Fulham loanee

Stansfield, who joined Birmingham on loan from Fulham during the summer transfer window, has been a bright spark for the Blues this season.

The Fulham loanee is presently Birmingham’s joint highest scorer with five goals in 19 Championship outings since the start of the season, highlighting his value to the squad.

However, it appears that Stansfield’s form at St Andrew’s is now attracting interest from others in the Championship.

According to the East Anglian Daily Times, Ipswich Town have contacted Fulham about a potential trade for Stansfield when the market reopens next month.

Given his achievements this season, it would be a blow for Birmingham if Stansfield was recalled by Fulham in January, paving the way for him to move to Portman Road.

It may be argued, however, that such a conclusion could have a substantial impact on the future chances of other players at Birmingham City.

The departure of Stansfield could provide Hogan with another opportunity at Birmingham.

Scott Hogan is one player that has had a difficult season with Birmingham so far.

The striker has appeared in 17 league games for the Blues this season, starting nine of them and scoring once – in a 2-1 win over Plymouth back in August – in the process.

As a result of the 31-year-old’s modest contributions this season, current sources say that he could be available for transfer in the January window.

Indeed, other reports claim that Hogan is among the prospective targets lined up by Birmingham’s Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday for the new year.

However, a possible departure from Birmingham and relocation to Ipswich for Stansfield could change that.

If Fulham were to recall their loanee and transfer him to Ipswich, Birmingham would be walking a tightrope in terms of depth at center forward.

Given that they cannot afford to be without options in attack, if Stansfield is recalled, the club may feel they are taking too big a risk if they allow Hogan to leave as well.

Of course, because he is only on loan, his exit for Stansfield in January would not bring in any further revenue for the club to reinvest in a successor.

As a result, they may have to look inside their team to replace the vacuum left by Stansfield, which means they may have to rely more on Hogan in attack rather than let him leave.

Indeed, while he hasn’t had the most successful season this time around, Hogan did hit double figures in league goals for the Blues in each of the previous two seasons, indicating the 31-year-old is capable of making a useful contribution in the proper circumstances.

With all of this in mind, it appears that if Ipswich do sign Stansfield in January, Hogan’s future at Birmingham may look very different from what it might otherwise look like.