Stoke City may consider big Nathan Lowe call - Huddersfield Town and Walsall may have one eye on the situation | OneFootball

Nathan Lowe has scored just once for Stockport County in League One this season

Nathan Lowe tore up League Two with 20 goal contributions for Walsall in the first half of last season, before being recalled by parent club Stoke City in January, where, since then, he has totalled just three goal contributions in league football.

It has been a tough year for Lowe, who, since being recalled from his loan spell at Walsall last January by parent club Stoke, has struggled to hit anywhere near the same vein of form as he did with the Saddlers.

In an ideal world, Stoke would have liked to have kept Lowe with Walsall for the entirety of the 2024/25 season, but following Tom Cannon's recall from Stoke by Leicester City, who then sold him to Sheffield United, the Potters desperately needed cover, hence Lowe's recall.

He scored just once in ten appearances for the Potters in the second half of the season and largely struggled for game time, with Ali Al-Hamadi largely preferred by manager Robins.

Interest in the EFL League Two Young Player of the Season was high this summer, with numerous League One clubs circling for his signature, including Huddersfield Town, but Stockport would be the chosen destination for Lowe.

Since his arrival, things haven't exactly gone how he, Stockport fans, or anyone at Stoke would have hoped.

Nathan Lowe has struggled for consistent starts at Stockport County under Dave Challinor

Lowe has made 14 appearances in all competitions for Stockport this season, which, on the face of it, sounds good.

But, factoring in just half of those have been starts, with only three having come in League One, the picture becomes slightly clearer as to Lowe's struggles.

He has still managed to grab five goal contributions in that period, though again, only one of those has come in the league, with none in the Hatters' last nine league games.

Manager Challinor has opted to use Lowe in a slightly deeper role than that in which he played at Walsall, where he was extremely prolific, with Lowe operating behind the main striker in their 3-4-3 system.

Kyle Wootton has been preferred in the central striker role, and with five goals and three assists in 12 matches, it's clear to see why, but Lowe has fallen as a casualty because of this, and has yet to fully adapt to a slightly different role than what he is used to.

Whilst the 20-year-old has struggled for output at this stage in the season, he could yet benefit from playing in a deeper role in the long-term and becoming a more well-rounded player moving forward.

Mark Robins, Stoke City, may consider a Nathan Lowe recall in January; Huddersfield and Walsall will be keeping tabs

It's unclear what Stoke's stance on Nathan Lowe currently is and whether they will be pleased with his game time, or lack thereof.

If Lowe is to remain at Edgeley Park beyond January, then an increase in playing time will likely be the best course of action, as though he will no doubt benefit from playing a slightly different role to that to which he has become accustomed, he must simply play more to develop.

Three starts in 12 league games is far from ideal for a player who took League Two by storm less than a year ago, and if Stoke do decide to recall him in January, he almost certainly won't be short of offers.

Huddersfield have a plethora of attacking options in the centre-forward role, with the likes of Alfie May, Joe Taylor, Bojan Radulovic and Dion Charles all competing for game time.

It would likely take one, but probably two, for there to be a role for Lowe to play for the Terriers, and it's doubtful that they will move for Lowe for the rest of this season should no outgoings occur.

Walsall, on the other hand, will almost certainly welcome Lowe back with open arms, having become a fan favourite at the Bescot Stadium during his short stint there.

The Saddlers at one stage looked primed for promotion last season, but just four wins in 22 games after Lowe's departure saw them drop into the play-offs, losing in the final to AFC Wimbledon.

They currently sit top of League Two 12 games into this season, but will, without a doubt, welcome Lowe's return with open arms should the possibility arise.