Barnsley will play in League One next season even though they prevailed in an exciting five-goal match in the second leg of their play-off semi-final on Tuesday night.

They defeated Bolton Wanderers 3-2 on the road thanks to a brace from Sam Cosgrove and a goal from Adam Phillips; sadly, the damage had already been done in the previous leg.

Despite Tuesday’s outcome, the Trotters had won the first tie 3-1 at Oakwell, meaning they would go to Wembley with a 5-4 overall triumph.

The match between Bolton and Oxford United will now take place at Wembley on May 18 to determine which team will play in the Championship the following season and which one will not play the Tykes in 2024–25.

Devante Cole’s Barnsley future is up in the air

With striker Devante Cole’s contract set to expire this summer and the fact that Barnsley has not been promoted, the club now faces a difficult scenario.

The 29-year-old scored 18 goals in League One this year, but he could leave this summer as he is now expected to be available on a free transfer.

He may have a few options because multiple teams have previously been connected to his signature.

The Championship teams rumoured to have shown interest in the striker in the past include Middlesbrough, Bristol City, Swansea City, and Stoke City.

Carlton Palmer discusses Devante Cole’s Barnsley future

In light of the aforementioned, we asked commentator and former England international midfielder Carlton Palmer for his predictions regarding Cole’s future.

Palmer expressed his belief that the 29-year-old will move on this summer without hesitating.

“Devante Cole, Barnsley’s talented striker is out of contract this summer, and with Barnsley failing to get promoted, they will struggle now to keep Devante on,” Palmer stated in an interview with FLW.

“I’d be shocked if Devante agreed to a new deal with Barnsley.

“The striker improved on his personal record from the previous season, when he scored 16 goals in 53 games across all competitions.

This season, he has been crucial to Barnsley once more, tallying 18 goals in 49 appearances. Middlesbrough, Stoke City, Swansea City, Bristol City, Hull, and Cardiff were among the teams that have previously shown interest in Devante. I anticipate a long wait list for his services.

“Barnsley needed to be promoted back to the Championship in order to retain Devante Cole. Therefore, Devante’s career will come to an end after suffering back-to-back losses in play-off scenarios both last year and this year, and he will be moving on to new pastures.”

Carlton Palmer: Stoke could be a good fit for Cole

Palmer thinks Cole’s style of play makes him a potential fit for Stoke City going forward.

“It will be interesting to see where he ends up because he’s a very direct player, he’s big, he’s strong,” Palmer stated.

“I’m wondering if Stoke City might be a suitable destination for him. That kind of tall, rangy center-forward who can run off the last man’s shoulder is what the manager loves to see.

“With Stoke set to lose Tyrese Campbell, this could be a very good replacement for Stoke City.”

Cole’s contract is about to expire, so it would be intriguing to see where he ends up this summer, should he decide to leave Barnsley.