Ahead of their opening game of the season against Bolton Wanderers on Sunday, Stockport County have secured the services of Stoke City striker Nathan Lowe.
The 19 year old has signed for the Hatters on a season-long loan deal. The striker becomes Dave Challinor’s sixth signing of the summer as Stockport look to secure promotion to the Championship during the 2025-26 season.
Who is Nathan Lowe?
Lowe started his youth career with Hertfordshire side Bishop’s Stortford. After moving to Cheshire with his family, the 19 year old joined Stoke’s academy in 2016.
The 19 year old progressed through the Potters youth system and consistently scored goals for their academy sides. The striker made his senior debut for his club in February 2023 and scored his first goal in senior football seven months later.
Lowe joined Walsall in League Two ahead of the 2024-25 season. After impressing for the Saddlers the youngster was recalled by his parent club but, despite scoring on his first game back, failed to make an impact in the Championship.
Ahead of the opening weekend of the League One season this weekend, the striker has signed for Stockport County on a season-long loan deal.
What could Nathan Lowe bring to Stockport County?
The biggest attribute and skill that Lowe could bring to Stockport County is his goalscoring ability. In 22 League Two appearances, the striker managed to score 15 goals at an average of 0.74 goals per 90 minutes.
His consistent goal threat will allow Challinor’s side to test opposition goalkeepers regularly. During his spell with Walsall, Lowe had an average of 2.91 shots and 1.53 shots on target per 90 minutes with a 53% shot accuracy.
On top of this, the 19 year old’s finishing ability and positional play could provide a huge benefit to Stockport County. The striker scored 15 goals from an expected goals (xG) total of 12.65 which suggests he is a clinical finisher and able to finish difficult chances created for him.
His good positional play is evident from an average of 5.27 touches in the opposition box during his loan spell in League Two. Lowe’s attributes are not limited to his goalscoring either having totalled five assists in the fourth tier and creating, on average, 1.03 chances per 90 minutes for his Walsall teammates.
The 19 year old has acknowledged the positive impact his time in the West Midlands has had on his development:
“In terms of my confidence levels and sharpness on the pitch from playing games regularly, I feel like a different player to last season [2023-24], when I was coming off the bench sporadically”
The growth during his loan spell last season will likely mean that Lowe will be coming to Stockport County full of confidence in his ability to score goals in the third tier which can only be a benefit for the Hatters.
Is Nathan Lowe a good signing for Stockport County?
Having completed the deal for Lowe, Challinor acknowledged how much of a big signing it could be for his side:
“We’ve secured one of the most sought-after signatures for League One clubs this summer”
“He now wants to prove himself at a higher level and we believe it is a great fit for all concerned”
Louie Barry and Isaac Olaofe contributed to 33% of Stockport County’s goals last season. With both of these players no longer at Edgeley Park, it was key for the Hatters to replace them ahead of the 2025-26 season.
With the 19 year old signing, Challinor’s side will likely be confident that they have secured enough firepower to challenge for promotion to the Championship this season. Having created the second highest xG (68.9 xG) and big chances (121) in the league last season, signing a prolific finisher in Lowe is most likely a good deal for all parties involved.
The only concern that Stockport County may have is a similar outcome to that of Louie Barry last season. If Lowe was to replicate his form at Walsall in League One, it may be that Stoke will look to recall the 19 year old at the first opportunity.
However, the Hatters were still able to compete at the top of League One’s goalscoring charts after Barry’s departure last season. With this in mind, it seems a very smart piece of business to sign one of the hottest prospects in the EFL even if it does end up lasting half a season.
