•  Swansea City’s squad is lacking in key areas and they need another attacker, such as Devante Cole, to cope without Joel Piroe.
•  Cole’s previous successful partnership with manager Michael Duff at Barnsley could give Swansea an edge in signing him.
•  Cole’s contract situation at Barnsley means he will be available at a bargain price in the January transfer window if he continues his strong form.

The January window may seem a long way away, but it could be pivotal for Swansea City this season.

4 Swansea squad lacks balance

Michael Duff has endured a very tough start to life in charge of the Welsh club, and a defeat to bitter rivals Cardiff City has certainly not helped the ex- Barnsley chief as he looks to win over the supporters.

Whilst there will be questions asked of the new boss, there’s no doubting that he didn’t get all the help he would’ve wanted in the summer window.

The squad looks to be lacking in key areas, and another attacker would be very welcome as they look to cope without Joel Piroe, who was prolific over the past few years before joining Leeds.

So, reports linking the side to Barnsley’s Devante Cole are encouraging, although landing the striker won’t be easy, as Middlesbrough, Bristol City and Stoke are also thought to be monitoring the 28-year-old.

But, here we outline THREE reasons why Swansea must do all they can to win the race for Cole in the New Year…

3 They need a striker

We’ll start with the obvious one – Swansea need a striker. It was always going to be difficult to replace Piroe, and Jerry Yates has not shown enough to suggest he can be that man, even if he has scored twice.

Even if Yates was firing, the Swans could still do with another number nine, so Cole would add depth and quality to the group.

2 He knows Michael Duff

There will be some fans who will question whether Duff is still in charge come January, and results over the coming weeks and months are going to dictate that.

However, if he is still in place, then it could give Swansea the edge in this transfer battle that he worked with Cole last season.

After a tough year, Duff’s appointment at Oakwell really helped Cole, and he would go on to score 15 goals in the league as the Tykes reached the play-off final. It proves that Duff knows how to get the best out of the player, and the boss will see this as a lower risk move considering he knows all about Cole.

1 He will be available at a bargain price

This shouldn’t be the main factor in a deal, particularly as Swansea brought in decent money this summer, but the reality is that they aren’t a club that will keep splashing the cash.

Therefore, the recruitment team needs to identify potential bargains, and Cole falls into that category due to his contract situation at Barnsley.

His deal expires in the summer, so the Yorkshire outfit know that the January window is the last chance to get a fee for Cole, who is unlikely to sign an extension if he knows that there is an opportunity to move to the Championship.

This means he will be available at a knockdown price in the winter, and if Cole maintains his remarkable start to the campaign, which has seen him score eight in eight, then it could turn out to be one of the signings of the window.