Barrow are in the hunt for a new striker this window, and have set their sights on Salford City‘s Cole Stockton as his place at Moor Lane looks uncertain.
The Ammies have made big splashes in the transfer market so far, taking Southampton’s Zach Awe on a permanent deal, before recruiting Fleetwood Town’s Ryan Graydon in a deal which set them back a reported £500,000.
Now, with the Irishman challenging for a place in Karl Robinson’s plans for promotion from League Two, the chance of offloading one of their strikers has presented itself.
Stockton Exit Looms
According to Alan Nixon through his Patreon page, Barrow are interested in re-signing their former striker in January, but could face issues with Salford not wanting to sell to promotion rivals.
Stockton ended up at Holker Street in 2024 on loan from Burton Albion, playing 17 times and chipping in 7 goals to help the Bluebirds in their quest for a playoff place, ultimately falling short of Crawley Town by a single point.
Robinson signed the former Wrexham and Morecambe man on a free transfer in the summer of that year as he began his first full transfer window with the Ammies in the wake of Neil Wood’s sacking.
However, this season has been a struggle for the 31-year-old forward, scoring just one goal in League Two action this year, coming against Tranmere Rovers back in September.
Robinson Should Cash In Now
With six months left on his contract, now is the last chance that Salford City will be able to get any sort of return on Cole Stockton.
Unfortunately, the striker has fallen well short of expectations this campaign, with most of his contributions coming in their EFL Trophy campaign, a far cry from last season where he found the net 18 times across all competitions.
With Daniel Udoh becoming the focal point up front for the Ammies and Ryan Graydon now in the building, the future looks bleak for Stockton at Moor Lane, with players like Nicolas Siri and Kelly Nmai also able to contribute in his position.
However, with Fabio Borini’s short contract close to expiring and there still being a question mark as to whether Siri can be recalled back to parent club Montevideo City Torque, Stockton’s importance to the team could become crucial if an injury hits another forward player.
Returning to Barrow would be a wise choice right now if Salford sanction a sale, being able to perform in a familiar environment and perhaps give the Bluebirds a new spark up front as they begin life under new manager Paul Gallagher.