Birmingham City transfer mistake? Leeds United dodged bullet | OneFootball

Leeds United were linked with Jay Stansfield prior to his move to Birmingham City in 2024

Birmingham City created League One history when they signed Jay Stansfield from Fulham in the 2024 summer transfer window.

The forward had spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan from the Premier League side, but relegation to the third tier followed.

Nevertheless, the Blues pushed to sign Stansfield on a permanent basis, eventually agreeing a deal with the London outfit worth a record £15 million, which sent shockwaves throughout the nation.

The striker was the most expensive signing for a club in the third tier of English football ever, and he rewarded the Midlands outfit by contributing 19 goals and three assists.

Chris Davies’ side earned promotion back to the Championship with a record 111 points and a League One title to boot.

But he hasn’t been able to help Birmingham in their ambition of going straight to the Premier League with a second consecutive promotion, with the team now effectively out of the play-off battle.

Leeds United dodged a Jay Stansfield bullet

Stansfield proved tough to get for Birmingham when they were in League One, and it required a significant fee to pry him from Fulham.

And initially it seemed to be worthwhile for the Blues, with his goals proving quite important in their comfortable promotion.

However, the club could’ve gotten promotion without him given the gap to the teams behind, and the more significant factor was that he had looked capable of being a top Championship striker with his performances.

This explains why Leeds United were also keen to sign him in the 2024 summer transfer window after they had narrowly missed out on promotion.

The Whites lost in the play-off final, and some extra firepower was sought to make up that difference.

But they lost out to Birmingham for Stansfield, despite being a division above them, and yet they may have ultimately dodged a bullet.

Daniel Farke’s side won promotion without Stansfield, and now the Blues are mired in mid-table, while Leeds are on the verge of earning their survival in the top flight.

The £15 million for Stansfield is becoming increasingly likely to be a waste of money for Birmingham in the long run.

And given he hasn't been able to do it in the second tier, on a consistent basis - even earning increasing scrutiny from disgruntled Bluenoses - it's hard to imagine him making much of an impact in the Premier League if he had made the switch to Elland Road.

Birmingham didn’t need Jay Stansfield to get where they are

Stansfield has performed well in the Championship this year, and his goals have certainly contributed to the team earning points.

However, he scored 12 when they were relegated in 2024, and his output has not improved drastically, which is what was needed for him to become a top forward at this level.

If Birmingham want to contend for promotion, then it could take another £15 or even 20 million to replace Stansfield with a more prolific forward to lead the line in Davies’ side.

On top of that, the £15 million spent to buy Stansfield was wholly unnecessary, as the club finished 24 points clear of third place Stockport County to get promoted.

It was overkill to have someone such as the 23-year-old added to the squad near the end of the window, as Davies’ side was likely good enough to get promoted regardless.

His failure to maintain his scoring record in the second tier has been a factor in the team’s play-off bid falling apart.

Meanwhile, Leeds added Dominic Calvert-Lewin to the squad following their promotion, and the former Everton star now looks likely to have played a crucial role in the club staying in the Premier League.

By opting to stick with what they had up front, Leeds taught Birmingham a valuable lesson in the worth of thinking of the long-term in the transfer window.