Sunderland and Everton linked with Birmingham City star

Sunderland and Everton are amongst the clubs who are reportedly looking to swoop for Birmingham City striker Jay Stansfield this summer.

Stansfield is a popular figure at St Andrew's after joining the club for an initial fee of £15 million in August 2024.

The 23-year-old had spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Birmingham from Fulham, but he was unable to keep the club in the Championship despite scoring 12 league goals.

Many observers believed that the former Fulham striker would earn a move to a different Championship club for the following season, but he opted to join the Blues on a permanent basis when the club were in League One.

His contribution of 23 goals in all competitions saw Birmingham bounce back to the Championship at the first attempt, while he also weighed in with 11 goals last season.

His performances in the Midlands have caught the eye of a number of Premier League clubs, with SportsBoom reporting that bids could be imminent.

Sunderland and Everton are believed to be interested in pursuing a move ahead of next season, while Hull City and Ipswich Town have also been mooted as potential destinations.

The Black Cats are looking for more strength in depth following their qualification for next season's Europa League.

Meanwhile, David Moyes is looking for fresh attacking options at Everton due to the inconsistency of current strikers Thierno Barry and Beto.

The main sticking point surrounding a potential deal is the fact that Stansfield's deal is not set to expire until the summer of 2031.

The length of the deal means that Birmingham can afford to bide their time, while it is likely to take a fee upwards of £25 million for the Blues to come to the negotiating table.

There is no doubt that Stansfield's physicality and eye for a goal could be valuable in the Premier League, but Birmingham may look to keep hold of their star man to form their own promotion challenge.

Matt Gibbs

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