This January, the Barnsley striker has been linked with a transfer away from Oakwell.
Devante Cole’s strong form and goal-scoring record has piqued the curiosity of a number of Championship teams.
Barnsley’s fan commentator hopes Cole stays, but admits that owing to his contract position, a January transfer move is inevitable.
Barnsley and Cole may benefit from a move to Swansea, Middlesbrough, or Stoke.
This post is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which features personal thoughts from our FLW Fan Pundits on breaking news, teams, players, managers, possible signings, and more…
Devante Cole is getting interest from a number of Championship teams ahead of the January transfer deadline.
Middlesbrough, Swansea City, and Stoke City are among the clubs interested in the Barnsley striker, according to Teamtalk.
Cole has been a notable figure for the Tykes over the previous 12 months, scoring 23 goals in 53 league games.
The 28-year-old has had a strong start to the current season, netting eight goals in eight appearances.
His future, though, may lie elsewhere due to interest from the second tier, with a January move now on the cards.
Should Barnsley sell Devante Cole in the midst of Championship interest?
Andy Symcox, a Barnsley fan commentator for FLW, would be unhappy to see Cole depart considering how much his form has improved in the previous year or two.
However, he feels that an agreement being reached in January is the most likely scenario.
“It’s not surprising that a number of Championship clubs are interested in Devante Cole,” Symcox told Football League World.
“He’s in the final year of his contract, and we tried to negotiate a new one with him, as you know.”
“In my opinion, he’s played the best football of his career over the last year under Michael Duff and this year under Neill Collins.”
“When he first arrived, he took a lot of flak, but so did the rest of the team as we were relegated from the Championship to League One.”
“However, he has turned himself around and proven to be the type of player we hoped and expected him to be.”
“I sincerely hope he stays at Oakwell, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he left in January for financial reasons.”
“It would be a shame, though.”
Collins’ squad is presently sixth in League One, vying for promotion back to the Championship.
Cole was a major component in Duff’s team’s run to the play-off finals last season.
A 1-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday condemned the team to another season in the third tier, but a strong start to the current season has demonstrated the club’s promotion prospects.
Barnsley earned 13 points from their first eight games, leaving them three points behind league leaders Portsmouth.
Collins’ squad will play Northampton Town at home on Saturday.
Would a Championship team be wise to sign Devante Cole?
Cole has had a strong start to the season, averaging a goal per game in League One.
That type of consistency in front of goal will always interest prospective suitors at this level, especially from Championship clubs failing to score.
Given that Cole is in the final year of his contract, a sale in the winter window appears to be a certain conclusion if he continues this level of performance.
Due to his history with Duff, a transfer to Swansea would make sense, but a deal with Middlesbrough or Stoke City could also be highly beneficial for Barnsley and Cole.
