Championship side Stoke City have placed a seven-figure price tag on young striker Nathan Lowe, as interest from League One side Huddersfield Town continues to gather momentum as the transfer window progresses.
Lowe had a standout start to the 2024/25 season with League Two outfit Walsall, scoring a plethora of goals and guiding the Saddlers to a comfortable lead at the top before he was recalled by Mark Robins’ side.
However, despite scoring in the Championship, Lowe was largely used off the bench or not played entirely and led to a sad end to what was a very promising start to the campaign.
Interest in his services has continued throughout the summer and it appears as though Stoke could be open to letting him depart on a permanent contract.
Stoke City set Lowe price tag
As reported by journalist Alan Nixon, Stoke City are asking for a fee in the region of £2.5 million to allow striker Nathan Lowe to leave the Championship side on a permanent contract this summer.
This comes following reports that Huddersfield Town are keen to land the forward, off the back of his loan spell at Walsall.
Stoke youngster Emre Tezgel has already signed a new two-year contract at the Championship side, suggesting that his retainment could be the grounds to open the door for Lowe to leave permanently rather than on loan.
How did Lowe fare last season?
After having a good season at youth level, Walsall were quick to snap up the Stoke City youngster on what was due to be a season-long loan.
He made his debut during a league match against Tranmere Rovers, but it was in game number two where Lowe came alive – a fixture against Huddersfield Town in the EFL Cup.
Lowe scored two goals in a 3-2 win for the Saddlers and the goals soon began to fly in.
He contributed to 24 goals in 28 appearances for Walsall and was quickly recalled by Mark Robins upon becoming the Stoke City manager.
On his return to the Potters, Lowe scored once in ten appearances in the Championship.
Has he done enough to justify the price tag?
Ultimately, clubs are more than allowed to demand whatever they want for their players but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are worth that amount.
With Walsall, Lowe was in superb form, playing in a system that was best suited to him and the rewards quickly came about.
However, he has struggled at Championship level though admittedly he’s mainly been a substitute option and needs more than just a few minutes to establish himself and show what he can do.
Right now, there is an argument that Lowe is definitely League One level, but he’s only had one full season in professional football and hasn’t played in the third tier, so he could struggle.
With that risk factor involved, the £2.5 million asking price is on the higher side and would be a big risk for Huddersfield to pay this summer, suggesting a loan move or loan to buy deal could be the better option for all parties.
