Stockport County winning Nathan Lowe chase would put extra pressure on Huddersfield Town’s £1.2m man | OneFootball

Alfie May might not be the only key forward addition in League One this summer

There was arguably no better young talent in the EFL throughout the first half of the season than Nathan Lowe, who excelled on loan at Walsall from Stoke City.

The 19-year-old tore apart League Two from August to January. He found the net in 13 of his 22 games at Walsall, and his 15 goals still placed him inside the top six top scorers in the division for the whole season, despite playing nearly half the games of his peers.

Understandably, Stoke recalled him from League Two as they wanted to allow him to play at a more realistic level for his ability, but they couldn't find a second loan spell in time, and he ended up being a fringe player in Mark Robins' squad throughout the second half of the season.

Now, he has been pencilled in for another loan move, with Stockport County in advanced talks with the Potters as they look to secure a new number nine following Tanto Olaofe's departure to Charlton Athletic earlier in the window.

Given County's recent track record of improving loan players' stock at the club, bringing in Lowe would immediately make him one of the premier strikers at the level.

So, if the move goes ahead, perhaps more pressure will be added on Alfie May to do the business at Huddersfield Town.

Alfie May has already arrived at Huddersfield Town with high expectations due to the price tag

May has once again found himself in League One for the upcoming season, a division where he's scored 82 goals in the last four campaigns. Therefore, there's already that pressure for the 32-year-old to once again perform to that level now for Huddersfield.

But, as Football League World exclusively revealed, May also arrives at the Accu Stadium with a hefty price tag, after the Terriers paid £1.2 million for his services.

The spending of Birmingham City last season may have made this price tag seem common and ordinary for the third tier, but it is still a large fee for a side playing in League One to spend.

The price tag lands him inside the top 15 in League One history, and with that will come the expectation that he will return to his former third-tier top-scorer status, which he secured in the 2023/24 campaign at Charlton before he made the move to Birmingham last summer.

Now, there is little doubt that he'll be able to do so. Last season, May still managed to net 16 times in the league, despite starting just 27 times. Braces against Stockport, Wigan Athletic and Barnsley reminded everyone that, whilst Jay Stansfield was the main man going forward for the Blues last season, the 32-year-old is still a top operator in his position in League One.

Each of the top three scorers in the third tier last season now plays in the Championship, so you'd expect that May could easily walk back to the top of the goal-getting charts, but a Nathan Lowe arrival could threaten that slightly.

Nathan Lowe could excel at Stockport County this season

Last season, Stockport had their own Nathan Lowe situation in the form of Louie Barry, who netted 15 league goals in the first half of the season, which prompted Aston Villa to recall him in January. Whilst Barry was loaned out once more, injury stopped him from continuing the momentum he gained whilst at Edgeley Park.

Those at Stoke will have seen how Stockport have been able to develop youngsters recently, also seen through the likes of Brad Hills, Lewis Bate and Ethan Pye, who were vital to Dave Challinor's side last season, and will have high hopes that Lowe can continue where he left off last January at Walsall, if the reports of the Hatters signing him come to fruition.

Lowe is a pure goalscorer, and you'd feel that the 19-year-old is in a great position to take League One by storm, just as Barry did last season after scoring nine in 20 League Two games in 2023/24.

So, given County will likely challenge Huddersfield at the top end of the division this season, Alfie May will be expected to give the Terriers the edge, score more than the exciting Stoke youngster, and live up to his £1.2 million price tag.