FULHAM boss Marco Silva has revealed that Jay Stansfield is in his his first-team plans this season.
Stansfield, 22, has been linked with moves to Stoke City and Birmingham City, the latter where he was on loan last season. Blues were relegated from the Championship but Stansfield impressed with twelve goals in 39 league starts.
Stansfield scored nine goals in 28 league starts for Exeter City in 2022-23.
The Cottagers kick off their 2024-25 Premier League campaign against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Friday.
Silva was asked about his plans for Stansfield at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday.
“I said at the end of last season when you asked me one or two times, everything we had planned for him in the last two seasons, and this is going to be the third, happened,” Silva said.
“First season in League One just for six months. Last season in the Championship he was probably one of the best players at Birmingham, scoring goals that you expected him to score was so important.
“I have decided he is going to be part of our squad.
“In Portugal he didn’t play [against Benfica] because he had a small issue in one training session and we had to protect him a little bit. Last weekend we played two games against Hoffenheim, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, he played in the morning. I can say to you that he scored as well.
“He will be a player for Fulham Football Club. Nothing more to say, we can keep receiving approaches but our idea is to keep him in our squad.”
