Stockport County need to see off Blackburn Rovers & West Brom advances - big League One advantage awaits | OneFootball

The Hatters have built an incredible squad for Dave Challinor over the summer

Stockport County pulled off a jaw-dropping deal to land young defender Brad Hills from Norwich City on a permanent deal, which created some fear over Ethan Pye’s position.

The 21-year-old spent some time on loan with the Hatters last term, but returned to Carrow Road at the start of the summer, with many County fans believing he’d shown enough to be playing Championship football in this campaign.

There was some concern that the big-money move for Hills could be a precursor to the departure of Pye, but that is no longer a forgone conclusion.

If the Hatters can hold on to Pye for the next couple of weeks, they could have a solid claim to the strongest defence in League One.

Ethan Pye has fielded plenty of top-level interest

As a left-footed, ball-playing defender, still just 22 years old and closing in on 100 Football League appearances, Pye is understandably one of the Hatters’ most valuable assets.

He took the jump to League One in his stride last season, making 42 third-tier appearances with four goal involvements, and is becoming a more well-rounded backline presence with each passing season.

That hasn’t gone unnoticed by teams above County’s current placement, with Blackburn Rovers said to have explored a deal this summer, based on an Alan Nixon report, as did West Brom, according to Baggies transfer source EyaWeGew.

Nixon’s report revealed a £3m asking price, which has since been verified by local journalist Sam Byrne, a valuation which has yet to be met by any club.

The signals look good for holding Ethan Pye

Hills impressed on loan with the Hatters last term, so much so that another loan for the centre-back seemed a bit of a pipedream, never mind a permanent deal.

There was therefore shock when it was announced the club had landed the former Norwich man on a five-year contract, with Norwich-based journalist Paddy Davitt reporting a £2m overall package, including add-ons.

Such hefty spending in defence, with such similarities to the valuation of Pye, naturally provoked suspicion that this was the Hatters gearing up his departure, but Byrne put that notion to bed when Hills was signed on 14 Aug.

“The move has no connection to the Ethan Pye situation - still no approaches/bids for Pye,” the journalist reported, via his X account. “The club recently noted at the annual fans' forum that it would be 'very difficult' to sell Pye at this stage of the window, *if* any bid does come in.”

Stockport are a couple of weeks away from confirming the league’s best defensive unit

It couldn’t be clearer that a Pye exit wasn’t progressing at the time of Byrne’s report, but as ever in a transfer window, nothing is a certainty.

Reports show that the defender has admirers, and they’re unlikely to be limited to those who have made it to the press.

Clubs will spend big if they’re in a state of panic towards the end of the window, and there are plenty of deep pockets in the second-tier and at similar levels, but if the Hatters can stand strong, they will boast one of the strongest defences in League One, and a backline that will soon look ready to step into the Championship.

In Pye and Hills, the Hatters have a defensive partnership that could be built around for the next decade, should they manage to keep hold of them.

Add that to the exciting acquisition of former Doncaster Rovers man Joseph Olowu and Finland international Arttu Hoskonen, and it’s difficult to see how any club at the Hatters’ level can compete in terms of centre-back options.

County have not only recruited with the top of League One in mind, but also a potential step into the Championship, which would now require little spending in defensive areas.

That strength, however, is dependent on holding Pye until the end of the transfer window, something all connected with County will be praying they pull off.