Exeter City boosted by Stansfield transfer payment

Exeter City's financial issues have been eased after they received an early payment of transfer instalments.

BBC Radio Devon understands Birmingham City have paid the club some of the instalments due as part of the sell-on fee for Jay Stansfield.

Blues signed the striker from Fulham for a reported fee as high as £15m in the summer of 2024 - Exeter sold him to the Premier League club in 2019 and had a sell-on clause as part of the deal.

Exeter have not confirmed the amount of money they have received from the deal or which club has paid it.

"We are pleased to confirm that this week we completed a banking transaction that brings forward the receipt of some deferred transfer monies," chairman Richard Pym said in a statement released by the club.

"This step provides an immediate financial injection while we realign expenditure and continue to explore the opportunities available to secure the club's long-term future."

Stansfield is one of a number of players who have come through the Exeter system and gone on to be sold for high fees alongside Ollie Watkins and Ethan Ampadu.

In their last accounts published in April 2025 for the financial year ending June 2024, Exeter said they could earn around £5m from transfers.

But the club has hit financial problems over the past few months after overspending their budget last season.

The Grecians have since needed two loans, worth a combined £600,000 from owners the Exeter City Supporters' Trust, since the start of this season in order to stay afloat.

Manager Gary Caldwell's playing budget has been cut and there is no extra cash for signings in next month's transfer window.