EFL pundit and former England international midfielder Carlton Palmer praised Birmingham City for completing the astonishing £15 million deadline-day purchase of Jay Stansfield from Fulham.
Stansfield made an impression at St Andrews @ Knighthead Park when on loan with Birmingham the previous season, but his 12 goals could not prevent their relegation from the Championship.
Birmingham, on the other hand, has shown overt and staggering ambition in the transfer market, bringing in numerous high-profile recruits from abroad while also acquiring domestic talent such as Marc Leonard, Luke Harris, and last season’s League One top goalscorer Alfie May from Charlton Athletic during a window in which they ultimately spent around £34 million to fuel their promotion bid.
Despite signing May, it had always felt as if the ultimate call of duty was to pull off a magnificent return for Stansfield, and they eventually did just that by paying an initial cost of £15 million, which is expected to increase to £20 million depending on future bonuses.
The amount, of course, improves on the existing League One transfer record, which the Blues had previously broken twice in recent months by signing Christoph Klarer and Willum Thor Willumsson.
Carlton Palmer’s verdict on Birmingham City’s £15m Jay Stansfield signing
Birmingham spent an unprecedented amount of money in League One, and the signing of Stansfield – which is more than the £12.5 million Liverpool paid to get Juventus’ world-renowned, EURO 2020-winning winger Federico Chiesa – has raised many eyebrows across the country.
Stansfield has only played two seasons of senior football, and if they do not win the division title this season, he will have a lot to answer for, so the transfer is a huge risk. Nonetheless, Palmer believes it is very much taking considering Stansfield’s goalscoring past and potential, and has exclusively revealed this to Football League World.
“Birmingham City have made it very, very clear that their intention is to get back to the Championship at the first attempt and they are splashing the cash,” Palmer explained to Football League World.
“They’ve already broke the League One incoming transfer record twice in this window, Christoph Klarer and Willum Thor Willumson both signed for fees in the region of £3-5m.
“But the deal that has smashed the record is for Fulham’s young striker Jay Stansfield. The 20-year-old became a fan favourite after spending last season on loan with Birmingham, Stansfield scored 13 goals in 47 appearances [across all competitions].
“It’s a fantastic bit of business. Listen, I think if you’re going to smash the record, it’s a lot of money, but this boy has got a lot of potential. Fulham did not want to let him go, they wanted to keep him in the squad. In fact, on the opening day, he was on the bench against Manchester United.
“They wanted to keep him in the club and they said it would take a lot to get him out of there, and Birmingham have done that [Birmingham saw a previous bid of £10m rejected]. I think it’s a great bit of business.
“At 21 years old, this kid could go on to score [lots of goals]. I think he will score 20+ goals this season if he stays fit in League One which would [likely] see them gain promotion, and then next season they have a striker that can play in the Championship and they know can score.
“So it is an awful lot of money, it is a gamble, but Birmingham have made it very, very clear that their intention is to get back to the Championship next season and at 21-years-old, it’s a good bit of business because they know he can play in the league above and that’s not a position they will have to strengthen in should and when they get promotion.”
Birmingham City could inflict serious League One damage with £15m buy Jay Stansfield
Birmingham supporters were warned by opposing fans earlier this summer about their probable overconfidence in their promotion hopes, but there is already a widespread belief that the Blues will inflict major, never-before-seen harm on the division.
When it comes to financial expenditure and the caliber of the playing group, they are in a different league than their opponents, and it is difficult to predict who will be able to stay up when they eventually reach their stride. Blues have won three and drawn one of their first four games, but the best is likely yet to come.
May has already scored plenty of goals in the West Midlands, but the Blues’ attacking approach will take a whole new level once Stansfield gets going.
Palmer is correct in describing the transfer as a real gamble; it would be stupid to say otherwise; yet, the hotshot striker appears to be worth the risk, and his profile, pedigree, and potential are all consistent with Birmingham’s long-term aim to reach the top.