Jay Stansfield latest as Sunderland pursue striker deal amid transfer competition ahead of Coventry fixture

Sunderland are still looking to strengthen their striker options before the end of the transfer window - with Fulham forward Jay Stansfield one of the options being discussed.

The 20-year-old has a year left on his contract at Craven Cottage, which includes a club option of a further year, with several Championship clubs interested in a loan move.

Stansfield signed for Fulham from Exeter in 2019 and has impressed for The Cottagers’ under-18s and under-21s sides in recent years.

The forward then returned to Exeter on loan last season, where he scored nine goals and provided seven assists in 36 League One appearances.

The Fulham view

Stansfield has scored one goal in eight senior appearances for Fulham, which came during an EFL Cup match against Birmingham in 2021, but is rated highly by the coaching staff at Craven Cottage.

Championship clubs Millwall and QPR have also shown interest in the striker, with just over a week remaining of this summer’s transfer window.

When asked about Stansfield ahead of his side’s 3-0 defeat against Brentford on Saturday, when the forward wasn’t named in the squad, Fulham boss Marco Silva said: “He is a fantastic boy and we all love him at this football club.

“He wants to play football every single weekend. We are going to make a decision for him, but it depends on our market as well and our squad.

“Even if it was in a lower division for eight months (at Exeter), he has come back stronger and grown as a football player.

“We don’t want to put him at just any club. He needs to go to a club that plays a certain way.”

Silva also added: “I am in contact with him every day. I know what he would like to happen but let’s see what is best for the club as well.”

The Sunderland view

After missing out on other striker targets this summer, Mowbray has admitted the club are looking closer at the Premier League loan market before the end of the transfer window on Friday, September 1.

The Sunderland boss was hopeful the club could sign another striker ahead of this weekend’s trip to Coventry, with Stansfield just one of the players on the Black Cats’ radar.

"I think we’ve got two or three names that we’re juggling," said Mowbray when asked about Stansfield immediately after his side’s 2-1 win over Rotherham

"I shouldn’t talk about Jay because nothing is done yet, but he’s one of those we’ve had conversations about. There are two or three others. We’ll see what falls for us."

What sort of player would Sunderland be getting?

Stansfield often played as part of a front two in a 3-5-2 system at Exeter last season.

The forward was also deployed in a slightly wider position as part of a front three and was effective running into the channels and closing opposition players down.

Stansfield wasn’t someone who was prolific in the air, winning just 10.3 per cent of his aerial duels (according to Wyscout), but was clinical in front of goal, scoring nine league goals when his expected goals figure was 7.94.

Seven of Stansfield’s nine league goals for Exeter came from inside the penalty area, showing his goalscoring instincts.