James Berry, a forward for Chesterfield, is being watched by Blackburn Rovers, Watford, and Swansea City.
Football Insider reports that the Championship is showing interest in the 23-year-old after he had a strong start to the current campaign.
Berry, who has four goals from seven appearances in the fourth division, is currently tied for the leading scorer in League Two after seven games (all stats from Fbref).
With six goals in 33 games, Berry assisted Chesterfield in being promoted from the National League in the previous season and is off to a strong start in the fourth division.
The winger’s contract with the Spireites runs through the summer of 2026, so they will have some negotiating power should a trade come up this winter.
According to reports, Chesterfield is getting ready for any interest in Berry when the January transfer window opens at the beginning of the following season.
Three Championship teams have expressed interest in the 23-year-old due to his stellar performances for the team thus far this season.
Watford, Swansea, and Blackburn are all reportedly keeping a close eye on the player’s performances.
The amount needed to persuade Chesterfield to sell is yet unknown, although Berry would undoubtedly find it alluring to advance two rungs in the football ladder.
He previously came through the ranks of the academy system at Liverpool, Wigan Athletic and Hull City before earning his senior debut with the Tigers.
Berry has also played for Altrincham and Macclesfield prior to his move to the SMH Group Stadium in 2023.
The forward started nine of his 33 appearances in the fifth tier, scoring six as the team won the National League title.
Chesterfield will now be hoping to establish themselves back as an EFL club for more than just one year, with the team currently 10th in the League Two table.
Blackburn, Swansea and Watford’s start to the season
Blackburn, Watford and Swansea have all made positive starts to the new Championship season, with all three currently sitting inside the top eight.
Rovers are fourth after six games, with John Eustace’s side having earned 12 points, and are still unbeaten.
Swansea are seventh, with three wins from six and 10 points to their name, while Tom Cleverley’s side are eighth and behind the Swans only on goal difference.
All three will be hoping to keep up this pace for the whole campaign, and look to fight for a play-off place at the end of the season.
Berry needs to continue performing at this level to get a championship move.
Berry has had a fantastic start to life in League Two, but in order to go further in the football hierarchy, he will need to maintain this level of play into January.
Although he’s off to a positive start, he needs to maintain this caliber of play if he wants Championship teams to continue to notice him.
A move wouldn’t be easy since his contract expires in 2026, and Chesterfield will undoubtedly want to receive a decent price for him.
But if he can maintain this strong start to the season, no League Two player will prove to be too expensive, so he might wind up being a fairly cheap signing for any of these three teams.
