Why Devante Cole could be a smart signing for Hull City
According to Sky Sports (h/t Hull Daily Mail), Hull City have been linked with a January move for Wigan Athletic striker Devante Cole, who is out of contract at the DW Stadium in the summer of 2020.
Championship strugglers Luton Town have also registered an interest in the 24-year-old, who has only made 7 appearances in all competitions for the Latics since moving to the club from Fleetwood Town back in January 2018. (Sky Sports h/t Hull Daily Mail)
As per the report, Tigers boss Grant McCann is keen to add another forward to his ranks before the January deadline, someone who can play up top and out wide on the flanks, and Cole has emerged as a target for the East Yorkshire outfit.
Hull City have already set the ball rolling in the January window with a loan deal for Liverpool midfielder Herbie Kane but Cole isn’t the only attacker to be linked with a move to the KCOM Stadium. The Tigers are also on the trail of Barnsley hitman Mallik Wilks, who has found regular minutes hard to come by under Gerhard Struber. (h/t Hull Daily Mail)
The son of former Man United legend and England international, Andrew Cole, Devante Cole spent nine years in the youth ranks at Man City and spent time on loan at Barnsley and MK Dons before sealing a permanent switch to Bradford City in League One back in 2015.
The 24-year-old went on to score 22 goals in 94 appearances for Fleetwood Town before completing a move to Wigan Athletic.
The Cheshire-born forward spent the first half of the previous campaign on loan at Burton Albion in League One, scoring twice in 16 appearances, before venturing north of the border to join Motherwell on a six-month loan deal this past summer.
Cole is now back at Wigan after scoring 4 times in 21 appearances for Motherwell but his long-term future beyond the end of the campaign remains up in the air, with the 24-year-old’s contract at the DW Stadium set to expire in 2020.
Hull City have been spearheaded by top-scorer Jarrod Bowen, who has already plundered 16 goals in the Championship this season. The Tigers have racked up an overall tally of 40 goals, which is right up there with some of the best in the division.
Indeed, scoring goals hasn’t been a big problem for the Tigers but it is easy to figure out why McCann is still interested in bolstering his attack before the end of the month. Premier League interest in Bowen’s services has been well-documented while Tom Eaves continues to be the only reliable option up top. (Daily Star)
Eaves scored a hat-trick in the 3-2 FA Cup win against Rotherham United to add to his tally of 4 goals in 24 Championship outings, but with Norbert Balogh and Josh Magennis continuing to struggle with injuries, the Tigers can certainly do with a bit more cover in front of goal heading into the crucial second half of the campaign.
Verdict
To put things into perspective, Devante Cole hasn’t had enough opportunities at Wigan to prove his worth at the Championship level, but his decent strike rate at Fleetwood Town in League One, coupled with his schooling at Man City and obvious potential as a player, certainly makes him worth a punt for Hull City.
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All in all, Hull City completing a cut-price deal for Devante Cole in January could be a shrewd piece of business.
