"Good bit of business" - Carlton Palmer backs Stoke City pursuit of Jay Stansfield | OneFootball

FLW spoke to Carlton Palmer to get his thoughts on Stoke City's attempts to sign Jay Stansfield from Fulham.

Stoke City will be desperate to rectify their goal-scoring issues from last campaign, where they notched just 49 in 46 games.

So far, this has seen them sign Sam Gallagher from Blackburn Rovers, but you can imagine that Steven Schumacher will still be looking to add to that front line.

For this reason, it was no surprise when news broke on Sunday (11th August) that Stoke had opened talks with Fulham about a possible deal for Jay Stansfield.

The striker has been a hot topic this window, with Birmingham, Hull and Cardiff City all taking an interest in the 21-year-old. The former was believed to be in talks for a record-breaking deal of £6 million, but Football Insider has reported that interest has now cooled.

This leaves a clear path for the Potters, who will know that a goalscorer could be the difference maker for them this season.

For this reason, they need to follow through with these talks for Stansfield and ensure that he is lining up for them before the August 30th deadline.

Carlton Palmer gives verdict on Stansfield to Stoke City

Understanding that Stansfield is a man in high demand, Palmer has urged Stoke to get the deal sorted, and he believes he would be a great addition to Schumacher's side.

"Jay Stansfield is in big demand, the 21-year-old had a fantastic season with Birmingham. Although they got relegated he scored 13 goals and was the leading light in the team.

"Birmingham were locked in talks to sign the player, but are believed to have cooled their interest, having offered £6 million for Jay Stansfield.

"Fulham, who weren't (previously) entertaining a sale of the player, are believed to be interested in offers for the player, and it seems that Stoke City are in the running.

"I believe that Fulham are looking for about £8 million for Stansfield."

Palmer mentioned that given Schumacher's previous success at Plymouth with Morgan Whittaker, he could potentially forge a similar connection with a player like Stansfield. Adding that this could lead to another young player thriving and scoring a significant number of goals under the Liverpudlian's guidance.

"Under Schumacher, you would expect him (Stansfield) to score goals as Stoke look to push on and gatecrash the play-offs next season.

"I think he would be a top signing for any Championship side. He runs in behind, he holds up the ball well, and he is a really good finisher.

"So, this would be a good bit of business if Stoke can get him. He's a young player who is going to do well and is only going to go up in value.

"Birmingham will be disappointed, but the player himself probably doesn't want to play in League One; he will want to play as high up in the Championship as he can."

Stansfield can be a statement signing for Schumacher

Having had this transfer window to sort out his side, this will be the season where Schumacher is truly judged as head coach of Stoke.

On Saturday, he got off to the best possible start as Lewis Baker scored a late winner in a 1-0 victory over promotion hopefuls Coventry City.

However, having only had one shot on target all game, they will understand that they need more attacking impetus. This is where Stansfield can arrive and prove a potent force for the Potters.

His 12 league goals last season provide a solid foundation, and with the right service, you would expect him to enhance that at the BET365 Stadium.

This output will come at a cost, but if they secure Stansfield, it would not only address Stoke City's goal-scoring concerns but also signal their serious ambition to contend at the top end of the Championship this season.