Birmingham City set to sign Jay Stansfield in £10m+ record deal | OneFootball

Birmingham City are now expected to complete the signing of Jay Stansfield from Fulham for over £10m.

Birmingham City are now expected to complete the signing of Jay Stansfield in a deal that will exceed £10m, which is a League One record.

Blues have been incredibly busy this summer under their ambitious owners, with new boss Chris Davies backed with significant funds.

But, it appears they are now set to make their biggest transfer of the window, as Telegraph reporter John Percy has revealed that they are now on course to bring in Stansfield after productive discussions with Fulham following their initial offer getting knocked back.

"Birmingham are now closing in on the £10m+ signing of Fulham striker Jay Stansfield. Two clubs have been in talks most of today but this now appears likely to happen. Incredible transfer if all sorted before 11pm."

Jay Stansfield would be a statement signing for Birmingham City

Percy later stated that personal terms have been agreed with Stansfield, so it’s now a case of ensuring all the necessary paperwork and checks are completed by the deadline this evening.

Whilst the deadline is 11pm, a deal sheet can be sent to the FA to extend that if required, but it would need to be lodged before the cut-off.

The Athletic also gave an update on Birmingham's pursuit, as they stated that it would depend on Fulham signing a replacement for Stansfield.

The Cottagers are in the mix to sign Reiss Nelson from Arsenal on loan, although they face competition for his signature, and they have also been strongly linked with Ernest Nuamah, who is set to leave Lyon ahead of the deadline.

This is a deal that will get people talking, as Blues are about to smash the record for a League One club if they do get this transfer over the line, and it highlights the ambition of the owners.

Of course, spending such a sum in the third tier is remarkable, but the fact they have convinced Stansfield to drop to the third tier shows he is on board with their long-term vision.

The England youth international spent the previous campaign with Blues and whilst it was disappointing on the whole, he was one of the few positives as he scored 12 goals in a poor side.

So, he has already proven he is good enough for the Championship, and if he joined a club in the second tier, it would be considered a coup.

At 21, he is only going to get better, so he is going to be a key figure for Davies’ side, both this season and in the years to come.

Birmingham City set for a bright future

Following on from that, it’s a very exciting time for Birmingham, and this deal will convince supporters that they are gearing up for a brilliant era under Tom Wagner and their US owners.

The immediate priority is winning promotion, and there would have been plenty of pressure on Blues to go up anyway, but the addition of Stansfield will reinforce that pressure, which the players will have to deal with.