Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City join race for Fulham starlet | OneFootball

Jay Stansfield has continued to attract interest, with Rovers also interested in a move for him now.

Blackburn Rovers are weighing up a move for Fulham striker Jay Stansfield.

According to Alan Nixon, John Eustace sees the young forward as the perfect replacement for Sammie Szmodics, who has left Rovers to link up with Ipswich Town.

Szmodics was a game-changer for the Lancashire side last term and also managed to get himself on the scoresheet in Blackburn's first two games of the season before his departure.

These contributions during the early stages of this season have reinforced just how crucial he was for Eustace's side - and Rovers have seemingly turned their attention to one of their manager's old players.

Stansfield was signed by Eustace at Birmingham City last summer, joining on a season-long loan deal and being one of few players to impress at St Andrew's during the 2023/24 campaign.

The forward enjoyed success under the current Blackburn manager before his very harsh dismissal - and he has done enough to force himself into the Cottagers' first team this term.

He came on for a very short cameo against Manchester United yesterday - and Marco Silva seems intent on keeping the forward in the English capital for the foreseeable future.

However, that may not stop teams trying to get a deal over the line for him before the end of the summer transfer window.

Blackburn Rovers considering Jay Stansfield move

With Szmodics leaving for £10m, Rovers should have a decent amount of money in their kitty to get a deal over the line for someone else.

Add-ons in that deal mean they may also generate more income from this sale throughout the campaign - and that could give the Lancashire side the confidence to try and make a sizeable bid for Stansfield - with Eustace keen on a reunion.

But they aren't the only team in this race, with Stoke City also believed to be interested in the player now.

The Potters may already have forwards at their disposal, with Sam Gallagher coming in this summer.

However, Steven Schumacher's side may benefit from adding more firepower to their attack.

The Staffordshire outfit will be keen to avoid relegation and if they can add Stansfield to their attack, that could be a boost for them.

Birmingham have also retained an interest in the player, but whether they will be able to lure him to League One remains to be seen.

According to Nixon, Blackburn will have to fork out £6m to recruit the Cottagers' forward, but whether they are prepared to do that remains to be seen.

John Eustace should demand backing from Blackburn Rovers' board in Jay Stansfield pursuit

After seeing Szmodics leave, Eustace should be demanding a sizeable chunk of that fee to play with in the transfer market.

Having seen Adam Wharton leave in January too, there are no reasons why Rovers' board shouldn't be giving Eustace a decent amount to spend on a striker.

£6m is a lot and Blackburn haven't spent that sort of money on one player in recent times, but they need someone who can come in and fill the void that Szmodics has created with his departure.

Stansfield is a player who could make an instant impact in the short term, before potentially being sold for a big profit in the next couple of years.