Exclusive: Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town and Bradford join Luton Town in Port Vale striker chase | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town, Bradford City and Wycombe have joined Luton Town in the race for Port Vale's Devante Cole, FLW has learned

The race for promotion from League One to the Championship is intensifying as we edge ever closer towards the latter stages of the 2025/26 campaign, and as the mid-season transfer window also nears its conclusion, Football League World can exclusively reveal that Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town, Bradford City and Luton are poised to compete away from the pitch in search for a new addition.

Bolton and Bradford are currently battling for automatic promotion, with the pair tied on 46 points - although Graham Alexander's side boast two games in hand over their competitors - and continuing to breathe down the necks of second-placed Lincoln City.

Huddersfield, meanwhile, are further down in sixth, and with ten points separating themselves from the Imps, their ambitions may no longer extend beyond securing a play-off spot.

That, however, already feels more likely following the recent appointment of ex-Bristol City and Norwich head coach Liam Manning, who couldn't have asked for a better start to life at the Accu Stadium by claiming a 1-0 victory over West Yorkshire rivals Bradford in Saturday's West Yorkshire derby.

Luton, who were tipped as strong pre-season title favourites after suffering successive relegations from the Premier League to English football's third-tier, are hot on the Terriers' heels in seventh, but will have to amend their inconsistent form amid just one win from their last five outings across all competitions if they are to finish inside the top-six.

Nonetheless, all four sides remain in the hunt for both promotion and a new signing from a divisional rival as we approach the end of the window.

Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town, Bradford City, Wycombe and Luton Town in transfer race for Luton Town's Devante Cole

Football League World can exclusively reveal that the player in question is Port Vale's Devante Cole, with the experienced 30-year-old striker emerging as a wanted man towards the top-end of the third-tier table ahead of next week's February 2 transfer deadline.

Sources have disclosed that Bolton, Huddersfield and Bradford are all chasing a deal for Cole, who spent time with the Bantams on loan from Manchester City during the 2015/16 term and also has interest from 12th-placed Wycombe Wanderers as ex-Terriers boss Michael Duff strives to take his side closer to play-off contention.

As reported earlier today in Sky Sports' live transfer centre blog (09:39), Luton have acted quickest to express their interest in Cole's signature by launching an undisclosed approach for the Port Vale forward.

However, FLW now understands that the Hatters are facing no shortage of competition in their efforts to bolster the forward options at the disposal of boss Jack Wilshere, with a number of League One sides joining the race for the striker's services.

Devante Cole has impressed at Port Vale amid Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town, Bradford City, Wycombe and Luton transfer interest

Cole only joined the Valiants on the previous transfer window's deadline day from Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion in a deal first revealed by FLW, but he could now be on the move once more following an eye-catching start to his time in Staffordshire.

As evidenced by the volume of interest, Cole has made a strong impression since dropping down to League One despite his side's struggles, with the bottom-placed Valiants appearing destined for relegation after accumulating 18 points and just four victories from 25 matches.

Cole, however, has returned a respectable six goals in 19 appearances, and could now have the opportunity to translate his rediscovered goalscoring form to a side battling to get to the Championship.