It would be no surprise to see Cardiff and Huddersfield re-ignite interest in Barnsley man this summer: View | OneFootball

Devante Cole has proven Barnsley right for taking the chance on him, as he continues to impress with his goalscoring form at Oakwell Stadium.

The former Manchester United youngster's performances are a big reason why Barnsley are challenging for promotion in League One, and currently sit fourth place in the table.

Neill Collins has built on last season's top six finish and continued the work done by previous manager Michael Duff, before he left for Swansea City last summer.

Cole has proven his talent under both managers, and has grown into one of the top strikers in League One and attracted interest from a number of EFL clubs.

Now in his third year at Barnsley, Cole has proven himself to be a top striker at League One level.

Cole joined Barnsley in 2021 from Motherwell, signing a three-year-deal with the club on the back of an 11-goal season with the Steelmen. While his first season with the club was disappointing, scoring just once in 24 games in a season that saw Barnsley relegated to League One, he quickly found his form in the two years following.

While his 15 goal haul last season was impressive, Cole has outdone himself this year with 17 goals in 32 matches so far in the league. This is the most goals he has scored in a season during his career, which is unusual for a player of 28-years-old to find his form so late.

Cole's 17 goals puts him top of the League One scoring charts, with his 0.57 goals per 90 minutes also the highest in the division. He has outscored his expected goals by nearly five goals, although his three assists and poor passing stats show that he is not a creative forward, and simply there to score goals.

Cole has been a key member of the side so far, starting every game in League One up front for the Tykes. His performances have been key in getting them up to fourth place in the table, scoring in 14 matches for the club in the league so far.

He has played almost exclusively as a striker this season, which could tempt a number of EFL clubs looking for an out-and-out forward in the summer.

Cardiff or Huddersfield could reignite their interest in Cole

While he has impressed at League One level so far, the 28-year-old Cole could make the step-up to the Championship in the summer.

Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town were linked with a move for Cole during the January transfer window, and his recent form could attract bids for the forward in the summer.

Cardiff were chasing the forward to help get their play-off push back on track, with the likes of Kion Etete and Karlan Grant failing to find the net regularly for the Bluebirds.

The club have lacked a consistent scorer since Kieffer Moore left the club in 2022, and Cole could be the striker the club have been searching for. He would also prove a cheaper option for the club, given the player's contract status.

Meanwhile, Huddersfield have been battling against relegation all season, even after last year's "great escape" under Neil Warnock. They currently sit 20th in the table, and with just two points separating them and the relegation zone, they may regret not making a move for Cole in the January transfer window.

Their top scorer this season so far is centre-back Michal Helik, which shows how much the Terriers need a consistently-scoring forward. With Delano Burzorg their highest-scoring attacker with six goals in 22 appearances, they have lacked significant firepower up front all season. The Terriers could add him to their squad in the summer, although whether they can avoid relegation will be a big part of that.

Cole has scored four times in the league in 2024, as Barnsley have lost just once as they challenge for promotion to the second tier. However, they could win promotion and still lose Cole if his form continues, with his contract with the club expiring in the summer.

With interest from clubs in the Championship likely to offer a much higher wage than Barnsley, Cole will want to take the bigger offer at this stage in his career.

While Barnsley were the club where he really proved himself, nobody could blame him for chasing more money in a higher league. Given his age, it could be Cole's last chance for a big contract offer in his career.

He has shown he has the instincts of his father and former Man United striker, Andrew Cole, up front, but it will be a big test to see if he can perform in the Championship next season.