Birmingham City, Fulham news will surely have Sunderland on alert: View | OneFootball

Sunderland should be targeting Jay Stansfield after Birmingham City news.

Highlights

Sunderland's disappointing campaign was rather summed up by their strikers as their young forwards managed just three goals between them all season.

New head coach Regis Le Bris will understand then that he cannot be overly reliant on the likes of Luis Semedo and Nazariy Rusyn next season with both struggling to hit the target. For these players, a loan away from the Stadium of Light or an understudy role in the team makes sense with both still needing to learn their trade.

For Le Bris and the Black Cats hierarchy, they will need to answer these questions and turning to a young but well-versed forward in Jay Stansfield could be the answer.

Having "chased pretty hard" for him this time last year, they eventually lost out to Birmingham City. This summer could see a repeat pattern then, with the Blues opening talks with Fulham for Stansfield this week.

However, this time around, the Black Cats are in a much stronger position than the Blues, who are facing a season in League One. So they must pounce and offer whatever fee the Cottagers are demanding for the 21-year-old.

Sunderland should hijack Birmingham City's potential Jay Stansfield deal

Even the most optimistic Birmingham fan likely wouldn't have anticipated a summer attempt to sign Stansfield following their relegation. However, in a testament to their owner's ambitions, they are clearly prepared to splash cash, having already broken the League One transfer record twice this window.

Now that they have opened talks for the striker, it appears that signing him would break this record once more, with Stansfield valued at £6 million.

For the rest of League One, this level of spending offers little chance to compete. However, in the division above, these figures are fairly typical and this should provide Sunderland with hope that they can bring Stansfield to the Stadium of Light.

While £6 million is undoubtedly a significant sum, it is a necessary investment for acquiring a top-level Championship striker like Stansfield.

Additionally, they have the added bonus of second-tier football, which must play a pivotal role in the decision-making of the former Exeter City man.

However, if they do reengage, they will be up against fellow Championship side Cardiff City, who have already stated their intentions this window by signing Chris Willock and Calum Chambers.

Stansfield could be the answer for Sunderland

If Sunderland were to make that move for Stansfield, then he could be the answer to their striker woes from last season.

Whilst he is young, he has gained experience playing consistently for Birmingham and Exeter, scoring 22 and assisting 10 across the previous two campaigns. This tally would only be boosted by a more free-flowing side like Sunderland, who have created far more chances on average in recent years.

In addition, the players alongside him would be that level higher, with the likes of Jack Clarke and Jobe Bellingham supplying the danger man.

What makes the most sense about a potential deal is that Stansfield, being young and talented, fits perfectly with the Black Cats' strategy of developing players and later selling them for significant profits. The £6 million investment now could comfortably double or even triple in just a few years if he performs well.

Additionally, he has the potential to bring the team closer to the promised land of the Premier League. Therefore, disregarding him as an option makes no sense from a financial perspective.

All this speculation will come down to Fulham's manager, Marco Silva, who will likely have the final say on Stansfield's future in the coming weeks.