Ethan Laird reacts to Jay Stansfield's Birmingham City return | OneFootball

Ethan Laird and Jay Stansfield are both excited at his return to Birmingham City on a permanent basis from Fulham.

Birmingham City have signed Jay Stansfield on a seven-year deal from Fulham for a League One record fee.

The Midlands outfit have been linked with a move for Stansfield for much of the summer, but it seemed unlikely that they would be able to get a deal over the line for the young striker.

That's partly due to Marco Silva previously stating that the player would be remaining at Craven Cottage beyond the end of the summer transfer window.

Not only that, but they have already recruited Alfie May and Lyndon Dykes this summer, but Blues seem to be intent on adding more attacking firepower to their squad, which is understandable following the departures of Scott Hogan and Stansfield from last season.

John Percy revealed that Birmingham launched a bid of around £9 million - £10 million to try and recruit the Fulham centre-forward in a last-ditch attempt to try and secure a deal for the 21-year-old. However, this bid has been rejected by the Cottagers, according to Alex Howell, and a deal seemed unlikely.

Blues have been incredibly busy this summer under their ambitious owners, with new boss Chris Davies backed with significant funds. They eventually got Stansfield over the line in the end, with their top target agreeing to a seven-year deal.

The finances involved are eye-watering, but Birmingham secured their top target just in time ahead of the 11pm deadline last night. Of course, spending such a sum in the third tier is remarkable, but the fact they have convinced Stansfield to drop to the third tier shows he is on board with their long-term vision.

This interest from Blues came after the striker spent last season on loan at St Andrew's, with the player impressing for much of his temporary spell. He was unable to prevent the club from being relegated to League One, but he was one of a select few who shined and came away from the 2023/24 campaign with real credit.

Stansfield has already scored at St. Andrew's this season, for Fulham, in the League Cup defeat to the Cottagers. However, all has been forgiven on that front already:

Stansfield took to Instagram with a simple message upon signing, with "KRO" meaning Keep Right On - one of the most well-known anthems in football, and certainly a message close to the hearts of Birmingham supporters.

One of his teammates from last season, Ethan Laird, responded with: "KR flippin O💙💙💙"

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What the Jay Stansfield deal means for Birmingham

Given the scale and size of their summer spending, Birmingham were already favourites for promotion from League One prior to the Stansfield signing.

Of course, they will hope that he is able to grow with the club during their ascent up the EFL, but the finances involved highlight their ambition in the short and long-term.

A return to St. Andrew's will feel like a step back for Stansfield, as he is a player that should not be playing third tier football, but it could pay dividends in the long-term.

He should be among the favourites for the golden boot, if Davies can fit all of it together and get it clicking in attack, given the sheer volume of attacking players at his disposal.