"Nobody would've batted an eyelid" - Birmingham City: Jermaine Pennant issues against the grain verdict on £10m Jay Stansfield | OneFootball

Jermaine Pennant exclusively spoke to FLW about Jay Stansfield's blockbuster Birmingham City transfer

Former Birmingham City winger Jermaine Pennant has argued that Jay Stansfield's blockbuster deadline day switch could eventually represent a bargain, despite the financial terms of the deal receiving intense online scrutiny.

Tom Wagner and Tom Brady have made no secret whatsoever of their ambitions to guide Birmingham out of League One at the very first time of asking.

Blues were relegated to the third-tier of English football for the first time in more than 20 years last season, although a lavish summer spending spree quickly instated them as sure-fire favourites for an immediate return to the Championship.

With extreme and extensive backing at a degree never previously seen by League One standards, Chris Davies utilised a transfer warchest to assemble what many have deemed a third-tier super-team - of which Stansfield is perhaps the crown jewel.

Birmingham sent shockwaves up and down the country by completing the ambitious deadline day return of Stansfield, who had impressed on loan during the previous season in spite of their relegation.

The fee which Blues ultimately shelled out has been speculated to a great extent amid conflicting reports, although BirminghamLive confirmed that it is in excess of £10 million, a League One record by some margin. Stansfield, who was a target for a host of Championship clubs, put pen to paper on a seven-year deal in order to return to St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, representing quite possibly the most staggering transfer in League One history.

Jay Stansfield's start to the 24/25 season at Birmingham City

Rather unsurprisingly, Stansfield has instantly taken to life in the third-tier and already appears head and shoulders above the level.

That was always the expectation of a player who scored 12 Championship goals at the age of 21 during the previous season, and he is duly meeting the natural pressure which his arrival generated.

The former Fulham prodigy enjoyed the type of league debut which, ironically, would belong in a movie script against his side's Hollywood - and promotion - rivals Wrexham.

The Welsh side, who will likely be Blues' closest competitors in the League One title race courtesy of the backing of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, were powerless to prevent Stansfield from scoring twice on his debut to inspire a famous, statement-sending victory in the Second City.

Stansfield added another to his account in a routine 2-0 win at Rotherham United the following weekend. Although he has failed to find the back of the net in any of his side's last three encounters, the 21-year-old is still proving to be inspired business by Blues, who find themselves top of the league and on course to realise their ambitions of lifting the title this season.

Jermaine Pennant makes Jay Stansfield transfer prediction

It is rather evident that Birmingham's ownership were not simply intending on recruiting and investing into a squad for League One.

Instead, their ambitious recruitment is tailored towards eventually returning to the Premier League, and signing one of the most highly-rated young domestic strikers in the country for an eight-figure fee was a statement of exactly that.

And Pennant, who made 50 appearances for Blues between 2005 and 2006 before earning a move to Premier League giants Liverpool, believes that Stansfield is already justifying his side's colossal investment, which could resemble a bargain should his current trajectory continue.

"When he was in the Championship, he had a great season on loan from Fulham. I'm sure if they would've made that purchase in the Championship, nobody would've batted an eyelid," Pennant exclusively explained to Football League World, via Safest Casino Sites.

"Already he's got three in five, he's already repaying that fee. He's a talented footballer.

"100 per cent [Stansfield can justify Birmingham's investment] if he continues this scoring streak and keeps playing well and putting the ball in the net.