Birmingham City and their supporters will be hopeful that the 2026/27 season finishes with promotion return to the Premier League, after a 16-year absence.

In recent years, there has been a lot of focus on Blues’ developments both on and off the pitch, with Knighthead Capital Management not afraid to show off their financial wealth in the transfer market and being extremely vocal about both the short and long-term goals at St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.

Chris Davies has been manager in this section of the West Midlands for two years, and the 41-year-old has received mixed opinions from fans after two very different seasons.

In his debut season as a manager, Davies was highly supported by the likes of Tom Wagner to remodel the Birmingham side into one that could get out of the League. One at the first attempt, following one of the most tumultuous relegation seasons in recent EFL history.

Such feats were undoubtedly accomplished, and many believed it was only a matter of time until his squad, with Knighthead’s ongoing support, would be vying for a second promotion under his guidance and, indeed, ownership.

While the Blues manager was given time to continue making the changes he felt were necessary, they were never truly in the division’s promotion race, finishing the season in 10th place, nine points behind the play-off spots.

As a result, a key summer of action looms, and it remains to be seen whether club-record signing Jay Stansfield will stick around.

Birmingham City faces shock. Jay Stansfield’s exit threat involves Hull City and Ipswich Town.

Indeed, the 23-year-old forward was signed for more than £15 million from Premier League club Fulham in August 2024, in a record-breaking deal that sent shockwaves around the football world at the time.

Stansfield had a 12-goal season despite the Blues’ relegation to League One, and he played an equal role in their title-winning season after signing a new seven-year contract.

The last 12 months, however, have not been easy for the England youth international, despite finishing the season as the club’s joint-top scorer in the league with Marvin Ducksch, having scored ten goals.

However, only two of those goals came after November, and there have been many questions about what positions Stansfield has been used in and which one he is best suited to, having played out wide, as the ‘number 10′, and as a focal point of Davies’ attack.

However, Football Insider has learned that newly promoted Hull City and Ipswich Town are interested in signing Birmingham’s striker, who is valued at £25 million by his current employers.

Stansfield “ticks a lot of boxes” for the East Yorkshire and Suffolk clubs, with the latter reportedly close to appointing Gary O’Neil following Kieran McKenna’s surprise departure.

Meanwhile, Hull are likely to do a lot of business under Sergej Jakirovic now that the two-window transfer fee cap has been lifted, albeit a potential overspend by June 30th in violation of the EFL’s PSR guidelines might land them in trouble.

How Birmingham City fans feel about Jay Stansfield’s likely exit.

Stansfield’s future has been the subject of much conjecture over the last week or two, and it has elicited a wide range of responses.

One Bluenose feels the club might be persuaded to sell if they got a bid of up to £35 million and then moved to acquire Hull attacker Kyle Joseph, who has apparently sparked interest from Millwall following an eight-goal season.

Stansfield has only played four Premier League games for Fulham in his career, and while he has been hyped for some time, owing largely to the price Blues paid for the West London club, it is understandable that some may be sceptical of his readiness for the Premier League.

Another season in the Championship may be the best option for the player, but if the price is right, the Birmingham hierarchy will undoubtedly have to make a decision, even if the forward has become the poster boy of their rebuilding ‘project’, which includes the upcoming Powerhouse stadium and Sports Quarter developments.