Fulham striker Jay Stansfield is understood to be a player Ipswich Town have enquired about heading into the January transfer window.

The 21-year-old - who can play in a variety of forward positions - bagged nine goals in an emotional season on loan at League One outfit Exeter City last season. Back at his boyhood club, he wore the No.9 shirt which had previously been retired after the previous holder, his father, Adam Stansfield, died of cancer in 2010.

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The two-cap England U21 international then stepped up a division when joining Birmingham City on loan. There, he has scored five goals in 19 Championship appearances so far, including one against Ipswich during a 2-2 draw at St Andrew's back in early November.

Stansfield - who ticks all of Kieran McKenna's recruitment boxes of 'young, hungry, technical and athletic' - has made three Premier League appearances for Fulham and is contracted at Craven Cottage until 2027.

It would therefore take a decent fee to persuade the Cottagers to part company with a player seen as having big potential.

The Sun recently reported that the Blues had a budget of £3m - and £15k-a-week on wages - to land a front man next month. We understand that the club could push beyond that, and still stay within Financial Fair Play rules, if they felt the right player became available. 

Speaking exclusively to the EADT and Ipswich Star last month, Town chief executive Mark Ashton said: "As a result of (not spending big last summer), we’ll now have more firepower to go again in January and we’ll have more firepower to go again next summer.

“That said, January is always a difficult transfer window. It’s a seller’s window, not a buyer’s window. But we’ll be prepared going into it. We’ll be brave and we’ll be bold, but we won’t be reckless."

Stansfield, who will have worked with Town first team coach Charlie Turnbull when coming through the youth teams at Craven Cottage, is just one of several strikers under consideration as McKenna looks to strengthen an Ipswich squad chasing back-to-back promotions into the Premier League.

George Hirst, who Town paid £1.5m to sign from Leicester last summer, is currently backed up by Freddie Ladapo, Dane Scarlett and Kayden Jackson in that department.