A Sunderland target could now be about to drop down to League One.
Sunderland have been chasing a new striker for over a year now, having failed to replace Ross Stewart after he suffered a lengthy injury before being sold to Southampton.
The Black Cats were made to regret their decision to only invest in youth last summer, signing four strikers who scored a total of three goals between them.
The club seem to have learned their lesson now though and have recently seen a six-figure bid rejected for 30-year-old Caen striker Alexandre Mendy.
It’s unclear whether they will be able to reach Caen’s valuation though and could still be tempted to look to the Premier League to bolster their frontline.
This time last year, Sunderland were working on a loan deal for Fulham’s Jay Stansfield.
The striker eventually joined Birmingham City and went onto net 12 goals before they were relegated to League One.
Jay Stansfield is now available for over £5m
Sunderland looked to be handed an opportunity to try and snap him up again when it was believed he could be loaned back out last week, however it now looks like he could be set for a costly return to Birmingham.
Journalist Darren Witcoop wrote on X: “Birmingham have held talks with Fulham over a deal for striker Jay Stansfield. Agreement is not close at this stage. Fulham have rejected Championship loan interest this summer and want upwards of £5million.”
Should Sunderland pay seven figures for the striker?
If Stansfield leaves Fulham for £5m then it would surely be a huge surprise to see him drop down to the third division.
The youngster was one of the most impressive No.9s in the Championship last term and is surely attracting bags of interest from the second tier.
While he has a relationship with the Blues’ supporters, he has no loyalty to them and should be earning himself a permanent move to a club further up the Championship table.
Sunderland are likely to have to pay a decent fee for any young proven goal-scorer this summer, but if they do sign Mendy then it surely rules out a move for Stansfield.
The Black Cats will have to pay seven figures to bring the Frenchman to Wearside, so an extra £5m on the Fulham starlet seems unlikely.