"Iwata, Bielik, Paik, Stansfield" - Birmingham City players backed as Premier League quality | OneFootball

The Blues have amassed a remarkably strong squad for League One this season

The Birmingham City quartet of Jay Stansfield, Paik Seung-ho, Krystian Bielik and Tomoki Iwata could all play in the Premier League in the future.

That's according to Football League World's fan pundit for the Blues, Mike Gibbs, who believes Stansfield is the one most likely to make the step-up to the top-flight of English football.

Following their relegation from the Championship to League One at the end of last season, a busy summer at St Andrew's saw the club bring in 17 new first-team players.

As a result, Chris Davies' side are the standout favourites for promotion straight back to the second-tier in the eyes of many.

Indeed, it appears as though Gibbs believes many within this Birmingham squad should already be playing at a higher level than what they are.

Birmingham players backed for top-flight progression

Stansfield, of course, impressed on loan from Fulham for the Blues last season, prompting the club to smash the League One transfer record to sign him permanently in the summer.

The striker has since scored three goals in five League One games since his return to St Andrew's on deadline day.

Iwata was another to join the club in the summer, signing from Scottish giants Celtic, and he has also impressed, with two goals in six games so far.

Paik, meanwhile, has recently put pen to paper on a new long-term deal with Birmingham, with the South Korea international one of the brighter sparks of last season.

Bielik's versatility and presence have also made him a key man for the Blues, since the former Arsenal prospect joined from Derby County in 2022.

Now, it seems that in a team playing below what he feels is their level, Gibbs believes those four are the ones with the ability to play at the very top.

When asked by Football League World if there are any players at the club he believes could play at a higher level than they currently are, the Birmingham fan said: "I think there's quite a few at the club who could probably play at a higher level.

"I think most of our squad is Championship ready, but I actually think there's a few players in there that could probably compete in the Premier League personally.

"I think the ones that stand out for me would be Iwata, Bielik, Paik, Stansfield. They've certainly got the potential.

"The one that maybe has to stand out the most would probably be Stansfield, purely based on where he's come from.

"He's got Premier League appearances, and he's so young, and he's only going to improve, so if I had to pick only one, it would be Jay Stansfield."

Birmingham do indeed sit top of the League One table as things stand, with 22 points from their nine league games so far this season.

They are next in action after the international break on Saturday afternoon, with a trip to Sincil Bank to take on Lincoln City.

Jay Stansfield can aim for the Premier League

The suggestion that Stansfield in particular could play in the Premier League in the future does seem like a fair one.

In what was a struggling Championship, the striker stood out for Birmingham last season, so he may have been able to make an even bigger impact in a stronger side.

As a result, if he does keep that form up, it would be no surprise to see interest emerge in him again in the years to come.

Indeed, Stansfield in particular still has most of his career ahead of him, given he is still only 21-years-old.

That gives him plenty more time to develop even further, and become an even more appealing target for potential Premier League suitors.

Even so, with the striker having signed a seven-year contract with the Blues this summer, it is not going to be easy to prise him away from St Andrew's anytime soon.

But given the ambition Birmingham themselves are showing, even that should not rule out a shot at the Premier League for Stansfield in the years to come.