Davies to sign Stansfield replacement at Birmingham City

Chris Davies, who has recently taken over as manager of Birmingham City, will want to get started by adding players to his new squad before entering the cut and thrust of League One.

The new Blues manager, who has left the comforts of Tottenham Hotspur to take on the challenge of promoting the sleeping giant quickly, will hope for appropriate transfer market support, as the American owners at St. Andrew’s also hope for a brief but sweet spell in the third division.

Losing Jay Stansfield, who has returned to the comforts of Premier League Fulham following a good loan spell, is a huge setback, as he has been a steady source of positivity in the West Midlands.

However, they could replace him right away with this prospective acquisition.

Birmingham linked with Stansfield replacement

According to a recent report in The Sun, Birmingham, along with a slew of other EFL clubs, are lining up to sign forgotten Burnley player Scott Twine, who will be sold by the Clarets during the transfer season.

Twine, who can play on the flanks, as an offensive midfielder, or up top, would be an excellent substitute for the departing Stansfield, who can play in all three positions.

You will not see a better video. 😮‍💨#BIRPLY pic.twitter.com/cEOCQaC4k9

— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) August 27, 2023

Similarly, Twine may replace Stansfield in terms of goal production, with the talented Fulham youth scoring 13 goals for the Blues last season despite a gloomy on-field circumstances for the most of the campaign.

The Clarets target has also proven himself to be a goalscoring machine in the EFL thanks to memorable stints at clubs other than Turf Moor, but the 24-year-old’s move to Birmingham is far from certain, with Championship clubs Bristol City and Sunderland no doubt more appealing.

However, with his career’s upward trend coming to a standstill in Lancashire, a drop to League One could be the confidence boost he needs to rediscover his shooting form.

How Twine could be Birmingham’s next Stansfield

The 24-year-old never quite settled at Turf Moor after a meteoric rise from League Two to the Championship, with the agile attacker plagued by injuries and a plethora of other exciting forwards at Vincent Kompany’s disposal to choose from.

Twine’s League One record, despite his up-and-down spell at Burnley, will light up Davies’ eyes in the Blues dugout, with the slick forward bagging 20 goals last time he was in the division for Milton Keynes Dons, which actually betters Stansfield’s one-season goal return when he was on loan with Exeter City in the same league.

Ending his final season in the third tier with an incredible 33 goal contributions, it’s no surprise that Twine’s ex-MK Dons boss Liam Manning wants to add him to his Bristol City squad now, having once rated the 24-year-old as a “terrific” talent when the two were together at Stadium MK.

Twine’s numbers at Championship level, before his Clarets career fizzled out, aren’t far off Stansfield’s this season, either, with nine goals and four assists in the division across 49 total games, including a sublime free-kick fired in on the way to Kompany’s men winning the title.

Scott Twine 🤝 scoring free-kicks#EFL | @HullCity pic.twitter.com/7BPjcLPhTf

— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) August 17, 2023

This is arguably a statement signing from Birmingham, and it would immediately improve the mood at St. Andrew’s ahead of what they hope will be a promotion-winning season.