Some reports have suggested Birmingham City spent in excess of £30m during the summer transfer window
Birmingham City’s summer transfer splurge was not as lavish as some reports have claimed, according to figures seen by BirminghamLive.
Blues grabbed the headlines on deadline day with a record-breaking move to bring last season’s loan ace Jay Stansfield back to St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park on a permanent basis. Whilst the fee paid to Fulham for Stansfield is a League One record and in excess of £10million, it is believed to be lower than the £20m figure quoted elsewhere.
The same can be said for a number of Blues’ summer deals. Fees for Austrian defender Christoph Klarer and Iceland international Willum Willumsson have been quoted at a combined £7m but sources suggest that Blues forked out significantly less to purchase the pair.
Even some of the cheaper deals Blues completed during the window have been inflated. Marc Leonard is believed to have cost an initial £300,000 to acquire from Brighton & Hove Albion, while proven Championship striker Lyndon Dykes came in for under £1m.
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Blues’ spending power has eclipsed anything League One has seen before, but manager Chris Davies and technical director Craig Gardner haven’t been armed with the £30m war chest some reports would have you believe.
The club’s coffers were boosted midway through the window with the sale of Wales international Jordan James to Rennes. If all add-ons are secured, Blues could eventually bank in excess of £8m and that is classed as total profit towards Profit and Sustainability (P&S) because James graduated from the club’s academy.
It is important to remember that several high earners were released at the end of last season and Blues started afresh in terms of P&S. League One clubs aren’t affected by P&S but Blues’ spending this year will count towards their three-year total if the club wins promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt.
Blues’ recruitment has been geared towards building a squad capable of competing in the Championship next season. Provided Blues do what is expected of them this season, reaching the Premier League inside three years of Knighthead’s ownership is a realistic possibility.
Gary Rowett reveals how Birmingham City teed up Jay Stansfield transfer
Gary Rowett wasn’t surprised to see Jay Stansfield return to Birmingham City on deadline day after seeing first-hand how the club charmed the striker.
Stansfield excelled during a loan spell at St Andrew’s last season and Blues owners Knighthead pulled out all the stops to re-sign him on deadline day. Blues smashed the League One transfer record to sign Stansfield for a fee in excess of £10 million.
Rowett managed Blues on an interim basis for the final eight matches last season and saw the lengths club officials went to in order to make Stansfield feel wanted. Therefore the signing that grabbed the headlines on deadline day didn’t catch Rowett off guard.
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In his latest DerbyshireLive column, Rowett said: “Looking outside of the deals in the Championship, the one that captured the biggest headlines was Jay Stansfield’s move to Birmingham from Fulham in a record-breaking deal.
“I didn’t think that was going to be possible because, if you look at a player that’s done so well as he had done last season, the obvious reaction is he’s going to go to a top-end Championship club. I presume most of the clubs in the division would have been after him.
“Most would have wondered whether they could maybe afford the deal but what I would say is Jay loved it at Birmingham last year. He loved the club and what Birmingham did well was they created a real family feel and made him feel incredibly valued.
“And I think when you do that then, as a player, it’s hard to turn down. Birmingham are different to most clubs in League One because you feel like if they can get out of it this season, which hopefully they should, they have a real chance of kicking on again.
“It’s not a surprise to me that he’s gone back and it’s no surprise that Birmingham wanted him back. But he has taken a step in his career where maybe he feels he’s got to go backward in terms of division to go forward to where he wants to be. I think that’s how Birmingham have attracted a lot of players this year.
“Most players see that project where they have the potential of playing in the Premier League. He’s such a great lad and you will not find a player that works as hard in the division.
“He’s definitely no prima donna. He will work his socks off for the team. With that goal ratio, and with his talent, he’s a perfect signing for them.”
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