Huge issue emerges involving Birmingham City and Exeter City - Jay Stansfield’s £15m transfer is causing problems | OneFootball

Stansfield's club-record move to St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park from Fulham is negatively impacting the Grecians

Jay Stansfield's club-record switch from Fulham to Birmingham City is said to be having a negative impact on the finances of Exeter City.

In a report from The Sunday Times, the League One side's currently concerning financial situation has been laid bare, with Gary Caldwell's men positioned in 20th after 17 games of the third-tier season, just one point ahead of Peterborough United, who occupy the final place inside the relegation zone.

Exeter and Birmingham were, of course, in the same division for the first and only time since the 1991/92 campaign last term, with the West Midlands side ending the season as record-breaking title winners, amassing 111 points in what was Chris Davies' first term in a full-time managerial role.

Ever since regaining their Championship status, the ambition that had previously been showcased at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park under the ownership of Knighthead Capital Management - fronted by Tom Wagner - has skyrocketed even further, with Blues recently unveiling plans for the upcoming 62,000-seater 'Powerhouse' stadium as part of the transformative East Birmingham 'Sports Quarter' complex, which is reported to cost between £2-3bn.

After suffering relegation in 2023/24, the first big statement of intent from Wagner and Birmingham's American ownership group was the recapture of Stansfield on a permanent basis from Premier League side, Fulham, having impressed during his maiden stint at Championship level, scoring 13 times in all competitions in B9 under six permanent and interim managers after initially joining on loan under John Eustace in August 2023.

Since then, Stansfield has become one of the main figureheads in Knighthead's well-documented rebuilding job, as well as a prime target for ridicule from opposition and rival supporters, such was the size of the fee which Blues parted with last August - a club and League One transfer record at that too.

However, whilst Davies and the second-tier side continue to be the clear beneficiaries of said deal, it is fair to say that Exeter are in a completely different situation, despite being set for an eventual cash windfall from their former striker's move from Craven Cottage to St. Andrew's.

Jay Stansfield's club-record Birmingham City, Fulham transfer switch having negative Exeter City implications

Stansfield's individual affinity with the Grecians has been well-documented, and one which completely transcends just featuring for the South West club on a Saturday afternoon or midweek fixture under the lights.

Indeed, his father Adam will forever be remembered at St James Park, scoring 39 times in 160 appearances for the Reds between 2006 and 2010, before passing away in August 2010 five months after being diagnosed with bowel cancer.

His son and current England Under-21 international, Jay, then progressed through the Exeter ranks before joining Fulham in 2016 in a deal which saw the Devon club receive a share of any future sell-on fee, before he returned on loan in 2022/23 and scored nine times in 39 appearances whilst wearing the number nine shirt which had been retired in his father's memory.

Since then, the 22-year-old has become a cult hero at St. Andrew's - both on loan and as a permanent member of the squad - and was integral in helping Blues return to the Championship last season, scoring 24 times in 46 games after a reported £15m switch on a seven-year contract from the Cottagers.

However, whilst it was initially claimed that the future investment would be extremely beneficial for City, it hasn't transpired in such a manner yet.

As per The Sunday Times' aforementioned report, the Grecians will receive 20 percent of his club-record switch to Birmingham, which amounts to around the £3 million mark, but the funds will come in separate payments over a seven-year period, with the majority of funds said to come from the fifth year onwards.

However, in a concerning development, the club, who are owned by the Exeter City Supporters' Trust, have been hit with a corporation tax bill regarding the full £3 million, which is threatening the future of the League One outfit.

As previously mentioned, the two clubs at the forefront of this saga couldn't be in more contrasting predicaments.

Not only are Exeter embroiled in an early-season relegation battle, but developments off the pitch have certainly made more headlines, with a recent fire at St James Park said to be costing the club £100,000 in repairs, which is a hefty sum of money for some.

Meanwhile, Blues were able to spend over ten times as much of those funds on several players to help kickstart their rebuild last season, whilst also following up Stansfield's eight-figure switch with the £10m signing of Japanese international, Kyogo Furuhashi, from Rennes in July.

These developments only showcase the financial disparity that lies within the English football pyramid, and whilst this situation isn't the full fault of anyone involved, Stansfield will certainly hope his old club can address their financial woes and begin to look forward, whilst those on the terraces hope he eventually emulates the success of his current cross-city rival and Aston Villa forward, Ollie Watkins, who can credit a fair portion of his development to the Grecians.