Barnsley confirmed on Friday that striker, Devante Cole, would be departing this club at the end of his contract in June. With Cole now available on a free transfer, we’ve looked at five clubs that should sign him.
Cole, son of Manchester United legend Andrew Cole, scored 18 League One goals this season. Unfortunately, those goals couldn’t help fire Barnsley back into the Championship. Barnsley’s play-off semi-final defeat to Bolton Wanderers made it back-to-back play-off failures for the Tykes and Cole.
Cole’s been with the club since 2021, signing in pre-season on a free transfer from Motherwell. He was part of the Barnsley team relegated from the Championship in the 2021/22 season.
Cole found his scoring boots when the club entered League One. He’s scored 15+ goals in each of the last two seasons, sparking interest from teams in the Championship.
Now, the former Manchester City academy player is set for a new challenge after deciding to leave the club this summer. The 29-year-old won’t be short of options, but has a preference to play Championship football, according to Alan Nixon.
We’ve had a closer look at five teams that should sign Cole this summer.
Birmingham City
Although Cole would prefer to play in the Championship and Birmingham have recently been relegated to League One, the club are an interesting prospect.
The club were bought by US-based Shelby Companies Limited in July 2023 and have NFL legend, Tom Brady, as a minority owner. Work has begun improving the club off the field, although relegation to League One wasn’t part of the plan, it could offer the Blues time to rebuild their squad.
One signing that could certainly help with that is Cole. He’s scored 33 goals in his last two League One seasons and could help them make an immediate return to the Championship.
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town were also relegated from the Championship to League One, but are managed by Cole’s previous manager, Michael Duff. Duff was announced as their new manager after being linked with a return to Barnsley.
Speaking to the BBC, Duff said the club needs to “reset” but are aiming for promotion next season.
Now, Duff has the chance to reunite with the man who was crucial in his one season at Barnsley. With Cole available on a free, a proven goal scorer, and has enjoyed success with Duff before, it makes sense for Huddersfield Town to sign him.
Sheffield Wednesday
Looking up to the Championship and one team that struggled for goals this season, Sheffield Wednesday. The Owls scored just 44 goals last season as they just avoided relegation, Rotherham United were the only team to score less than them.
Wednesday’s top scorer this season was winger Anthony Musaba with eight goals. Josh Windass and Ike Ugbo were second with seven each. The Star reported the Owls want to bring Ugbo back permanently, but even if a deal did happen, they’d still be lacking going forward.
Cole’s record in the Championship isn’t the best, scoring one goal in 24 games (statistics from Transfermarkt). However, with the transfer costing nothing and Cole in goalscoring form, it could be a risk worth taking.
Stoke City
Stoke City are another Championship team that struggled to score goals this season. They scored 49 goals as they pulled away from safety thanks to three wins in their final games.
Pundit, Carlton Palmer, told Football League World he believed Cole would be a good fit for Stoke. They’re set to lose Tyrese Campbell and Cole could be a solid replacement for them.
Stoke City could see the signing of Cole as a risk worth taking as they look to move away from the relegation battle next season.
Luton Town
Luton Town’s Premier League dream was short-lived, as they’ll be returning to the Championship next season.
In front of the goal, they’ve seen a healthy return of 50 goals, and counting. Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo have both scored ten goals, with one game remaining in their campaign.
Although they don’t necessarily need a new striker, Luton Town are a team that works smart and within their budget. Cole’s status as a free agent could make him an attractive prospect for Luton when they return to the Championship.
Cole would also offer Luton Town a good cover option, should Morris or Adebayo attract interest from elsewhere and decide to depart.