Birmingham to demand record fee as Everton race to sign Jay Stansfield
Birmingham City are now facing a fight to keep hold of their star man, amid interest from Everton and three other Premier League sides this summer.
The Blues missed out on the playoffs in their first season back in the Championship, despite spending big on the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi. Now, expectations are only set to increase as they head into their second campaign desperately hoping to improve on a 10th-place finish.
Just how long certain players stay put if Birmingham miss out on promotion once again next season is the big question. They’ve got the money to spend, but that money will mean nothing if those at St. Andrew’s aren’t offering it in the Premier League.
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The likes of Everton are already sniffing around looking to take full advantage, too. The Toffees are already attempting to sign Hayden Hackney from Middlesborough after the Teesside club suffered Wembley heartbreak, and could pick apart Birmingham in similar fashion this summer.
After narrowly missing out on European football last season, David Moyes has the chance to bridge the gap in the next campaign with plenty of fresh faces at his disposal, including one of England’s most in-demand stars.
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Everton join race to sign attacking star
Alongside Hackney, those at the Hill Dickinson are now looking to welcome a Championship striker. According to SportsBoom, Everton have joined the race to sign Jay Stansfield alongside Hull City, Ipswich Town and Sunderland.
The young forward was involved in 16 goals last season and, as such, Birmingham are set to demand a club-record asking price worth over €35m (£30M) this summer – more than Borussia Dortmund paid for Jude Bellingham back in 2020.
It’s not a price that’s out of Everton’s grasp, but they must consider whether Stansfield is worth the money. Whilst still just 23 years old, there’s little sign that he would instantly solve Moyes’ striker problem and another misfiring forward is the last thing that the Toffees need this summer.
| 25/26 league stats | Jay Stansfield | Thierno Barry | Beto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 3,312 | 1,915 | 1,565 |
| Goals | 10 | 8 | 9 |
| Assists | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| XG | 11.35 | 8.11 | 8.8 |
He may be one of the most in-demand players in England, with SportsBoom going as far to say that he is one of this summer’s most active Premier League transfer files, but Everton should hold off on splashing the cash to sign Stansfield.
