Fulham news: Jay Stansfield returns to west London, but now what?

Jay Stansfield will return to Fulham this summer after a season-long loan at Birmingham City.

Despite it being a disappointing season for the Blues, who were relegated to League One on the final day of the season, the forward’s talent shone through and won the hearts of fans.

They say you “never fall in love with a player on loan”, but that’s exactly what happened at St Andrews.

The 21-year-old completed a haul of five awards at the Blues’ end-of-season event, including the supporters’ player of the season and a players’ player award. He was the campaign’s top scorer with 13 and won Goal of the Season for his debut goal against Plymouth Argyle in extra time.

In a season that saw five managers in the dugout and Tom Brady become part owner, Stansfield kept the fans’ hope of survival alive until the last minute,

But with Birmingham playing in the third tier next season, a permanent move for the England Under-21 international is highly unlikely.

Stansfield has played eight times for Fulham since signing from Exeter City’s academy in January 2020.

He was loaned back to his boyhood club in 2022, wore the number nine shirt that his father Adam wore and played in front of a stand named after his father.

Including his spell at Birmingham, he made 84 senior appearances and scored 22 goals.

However, competition for a first-team place at Fulham is fierce, with Marco Silva already having seven attacking options.

Rodrigo Muniz has 10 goals this season and is followed by Bobby De Cordova-Reid with seven and Alex Iwobi with six. Willian and Raul Jimenez also scored five.

Stansfield only signed a new four-year deal with the club last August but could opt for a move away from Craven Cottage to continue playing first-team football.

However, at just 21 – and with that contract giving him a further three years in west London – he would appear to remain on the club’s radar as one to watch for the future.

Whether he’ll be at Craven Cottage next season or away from it, we’ll have to wait and see.

What do you think, Fulham fans?

Would you like Stansfield to get the opportunity next season? Or is he still too young?