How Birmingham City really feel about Jay Stansfield's future as Everton, Sunderland lurk | OneFootball

Jay Stansfield has been linked with a move away from Birmingham City

Birmingham City are expecting a busy summer after they were unable to sustain a promotion push in their first season back in the Championship.

The Blues were hoping to fight for a second promotion in a row last season after earning their place in the second tier by winning the League One title in 2025.

Chris Davies’ side ultimately finished 10th in the table, missing out on the play-offs by nine points.

This led to Craig Gardner departing from his role as sporting director at the end of the campaign, with the club searching for his replacement.

Birmingham have invested heavily in their first team squad, and could do so again this summer.

However, they also face a battle to hold onto some of their key players, which could test the owners’ resolve and ambition to be in the mix for a top eight finish next season.

Birmingham’s Jay Stansfield transfer stance

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It has been reported by Football Insider that Birmingham are relaxed about the transfer speculation surrounding Jay Stansfield.

It’s understood that Everton and Sunderland have joined the race for the forward’s signature.

The 23-year-old contributed 10 goals and six assists in the Championship last season, with no player finding the back of the net more frequently for Davies’ side.

Birmingham have set a £25 million asking price for the striker, who arrived two years ago in a record £15 million deal.

Hull City and Ipswich Town have also been linked with a move for the Birmingham star, but the club aren’t too stressed about the situation just yet.

It’s understood that both Everton and Sunderland have other targets they want to prioritise first, meaning a pursuit is not imminent.

How Birmingham City fans feel about Jay Stansfield’s future

The £25 million asking price that has emerged has sparked a lot of reactions from supporters, but some fans believe that it wouldn’t be worth it for a club to pay that.

However, some believe that a figure of £30 million would be a fairer reflection of his value to the Blues.

While some supporters have claimed that Stansfield simply cannot be sold, as he was one of their best players last season.

Meanwhile, others have pointed out that the player himself may not want to move after enjoying two positive campaigns at St. Andrew’s.

Stansfield has a contract with Birmingham until June 2031.

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Jay Stansfield exit will earn Birmingham a pretty penny

If a club makes an offer in the region of £25 million, then Birmingham should be happy enough to accept, as they can reinvest that into improving the first team squad.

The £15 million to sign him was a risk, but this would represent a significant profit on that initial figure, and would be great business.

But it’s unlikely this interest will form into anything concrete for quite a while if Everton and Sunderland are chasing other targets first.

Birmingham are in a comfortable position given Stansfield’s contract situation, so it’s not surprising that they feel relaxed about it for now.