Exclusive: David Prutton makes claim on Nathan Lowe's Stoke City future | OneFootball

Nathan Lowe has struggled to make an impact at the Potters since he was recalled from a loan spell at Walsall

Former Premier League midfielder and current Sky Sports pundit David Prutton has offered his view on whether Stoke City should look to cash in on young striker Nathan Lowe or keep him around in their first-team for next season, following his struggle to make an impact on his return from an impressive loan spell at Walsall.

Lowe joined the Saddlers on loan in the summer window and proved himself as one of the best players in League Two over the first half of the campaign, with individual awards aplenty and 18 goals and seven assists in 30 appearances across all competitions for the club in their push for promotion.

His strong fourth-tier form saw Stoke exercise their option to recall him to their own squad in January, after their own loanee Tom Cannon returned to Leicester City, but the 19-year-old has struggled to make a real impact under Mark Robins so far and the club could have a big decision to make over the next few months.

David Prutton offers 'bettter off' Nathan Lowe, Stoke City verdict ahead of the summer window

The Potters surprised many fans across the EFL in January when it was announced that they had decided to recall Lowe from his brilliant spell at then-League Two leaders Walsall with immediate effect, but it did make sense at the time, given their lack of firepower in the final third and need for goals in the Championship relegation battle.

While he was a real hit in the fourth tier and probably the best player in that league up to that point, the jump up to the second-tier is a big one, and he has failed to transfer that Saddlers form back to the bet365 Stadium over the last few months.

Lowe enjoyed a dream return to the Potters' squad with a goal in his first game back against West Brom, but he has played just eight times since, and has not even been included in Robins' matchday squad in the club's last three league outings.

Sky Sports presenter and pundit Prutton believes that the Potters may well think about selling Lowe this summer, if they are offered a fee close to his potential valuation, but he has backed Lowe to succeed in ST4 under boss Robins in the near future.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Prutton said: “It depends what money they’d get for him, doesn’t it? I think something needs to happen at Stoke City, having never finished in the top-half of the table since relegation from the Premier League.

“I think Mark Robins is the man. Nathan is the type of player that could flourish under Mark, and if it is an asset that they can keep to make sure they have a better season in the Championship, then Stoke would be better off keeping him.

“As ever, it is all about the price tag, isn’t it? If there is a sizeable and workable fee that gets mooted for him, then they’d have to think about that, wouldn’t they?”

Lowe will have ambitions of success with Stoke - he may need another loan move

Lowe counts the Potters as his boyhood club, given that he joined them at just 10-years-old despite being born and raised in Harlow, Essex. With that said, it does seem unlikely that he would want a permanent move away anytime soon, despite a tough last few months.

He was a real standout at Walsall in the first-half of the campaign, and has recently been shortlisted for both the League Two Player of the Season and League Two Young Player of the Season awards, will surely himself admit that he has not quite been able to get to grips with life in the Championship as yet.

The 19-year-old was given half-an-hour off the bench in the Potters' 3-1 win over QPR last month, and despite Robins' side having the win wrapped up, he spurned a couple of great chances to score and generally struggled to make an impact.

His chances of game-time have certainly not been helped by Stoke's own predicament near the foot of the Championship table, with the likes of Ali Al-Hamadi and Sam Gallagher understandably preferred to lead the line with the club in dire need of points over the last few weeks. Out-of-favour frontman Ryan Mmaee has also returned to the fold recently, and so has made the bench over Lowe in the last three games.

Mark Robins has praised Lowe as a player with "so much potential" to get better in the future, and it seems highly unlikely that any club would offer something close to what Stoke value the 19-year-old at this summer, to tempt them into a potential sale.

Regardless, given his age and the Potters' likelihood of staying in the second-tier this season, a loan move to a League One club could well be in the pipeline for next term, but he may still be given a chance to prove himself in the Championship once again.