Barnsley Football Club is off to a strong start in the League One season, thanks in part to the form of striker Devante Cole, who is the league’s top goalscorer.
Cole’s performances have attracted interest from Championship clubs including Middlesbrough and Stoke City, as well as former Barnsley manager Michael Duff at Swansea and Bristol City.
Despite the interest, Cole should consider staying at Barnsley and finishing the season with the Tykes, as he is playing the best football of his career and has the opportunity to lead the club to promotion glory.
The Tykes were one of the standout performers last season, but they were unable to end the season on a high as they were defeated in the play-off final by Sheffield Wednesday.
Then over the summer, things got worse for Barnsley, as they lost manager Michael Duff, who was snapped up by Swansea City.
The Tykes appointed Neill Collins as their new manager, and so far, it has been a successful appointment, as the club sits in the play-offs and are chasing automatic places.
Part of the reason Barnsley have started the season so well has been down to the form of striker Devante Cole. The forward has made an excellent start to the season, and his performances have reportedly caught the attention of teams higher up.
Which teams are interested in signing Devante Cole?
Cole has got nine goals to his name so far in this season, and that makes him the league’s top goalscorer.
That has attracted interest from the Championship, as according to TEAMtalk, Middlesbrough and Stoke City are two keen on the forward.
The report also states that former Tykes manager Michael Duff is keen to reunite with the player at Swansea, with Bristol City also interested.
The 28-year-old, who is probably best known for being the son of ex-Manchester United striker Andy Cole, has been playing in the Football League on and off for a while now.
He has featured for the likes of Fleetwood, Wigan, and Doncaster, among others, but since moving to Barnsley in 2021, he seems to have finally found his best form.
| Devante Cole’s stats per division, as per Transfermarkt | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| Championship | 24 | 1 | 1 |
| League One | 216 | 56 | 15 |
| Scottish Premiership | 41 | 12 | 5 |
| Premier League 2 | 25 | 7 | 58 |
| *League One stats as of October 24th | |||
The forward netted 15 times in the league last season, as the Tykes made it all the way to the play-off final.
Why should Devante Cole reject Championship moves and stay at Barnsley?
As well as his goal-scoring exploits, Cole is out of contract at the end of this season, and it seems Championship clubs are looking into the idea of signing the player in January.
The forward has played for a host of EFL sides, as mentioned, but he has never really found his scoring boots, or more so, on a regular basis.
However, this season he has so far changed that and has been crucial to Barnsley making a good start and trying to go one step further than the 2022/23 campaign.
Cole is already on course to beat his tally from last season, and we are not in November yet.
It is easy to see why Championship clubs are interested in Cole, as his all-round game is getting better and better.
He has so far averaged 2.1 shots per game, with Cole also enjoying taking players on, as he’s averaged 0.5 dribbles and is a nuisance for defenders, as he’s been fouled 0.8 times per game, as per WhoScored.com.
Cole isn’t involved in too much build-up play, but with him only averaging 15.1 passes per game, he is still picking up 1.1 key passes, and that has led him to record assists as well.
Both Middlesbrough and Stoke will be seeing what areas they can improve in, and they both could do with adding more firepower. So, it is understandable to see why they want Cole, but that doesn’t mean the player should just move at the first chance.
Cole is playing the best football of his career, and it seems silly for him to leave midway through a campaign when, if he stays at Oakwell, he could easily lead Barnsley to promotion glory.
Furthermore, there are no guarantees that he is going to play regularly at these clubs or that his form is going to continue.
So, given he is out of contract in the summer, he should hold off making a decision and finish the season with the Tykes and try and seal their return to the Championship, therefore becoming a hero at the club.
