Stockport County set to beat Wigan Athletic to Crystal Palace agreement | OneFootball

The Hatters faced strong competition but reports suggest they've won the race

Stockport County are reportedly closing in on the loan signing of highly-rated young Crystal Palace full-back Tayo Adaramola.

That the Hatters had pulled ahead in the race was first reported by journalist Edmund Brack, with other clubs in England and Italy thought to have registered their interest.

It has been a busy summer so far at Edgeley Park with 11 new faces arriving through the doors. A deal for Adaramola would represent the second loanee to arrive at the club after striker Michael Mellon agreed a temporary switch from Burnley.

County currently have just Ibby Touray and Ryan Rydel as specialist left-backs, with Ethan Pye also able to cover there. This move suggests that manager Dave Challinor and his recruitment team felt reinforcements were needed in this area.

County pull ahead in Adaramola race

Brack's report that the Hatters have been selected as the preferred destination for Adaramola will be welcome news to those at Edgeley Park, as they faced strong competition.

Both Wigan Athletic and Serie B outfit Pisa SC were reportedly after the Ireland youth international, but County appear to have been selected as the preferred destination for the full-back this season.

He spent the end of last season with Belgian second-tier side RWD Molenbeek, following a brief spell with Coventry City the season before.

That County have been selected above the teams competing for Adaramola's services, despite being a side newly promoted from the fourth tier, is a strong show of faith from the Premier League club.

Signing would fill a gap left by former loanee

The Hatters faced a tough injury crisis last season, so much so that they had to go back into the market in January to seek reinforcements at left-back, with numbers reduced by Rydel's season-long injury and Pye being required at centre-back.

They opted to bring Ethan Bristow back across the Atlantic from parent club Minnesota United and it proved a smart move, with the 22-year-old turning out 13 times for the club before returning at the end of the season.

It proved the need for an additional body in this position despite having Rydel, Pye and Touray in their ranks, which is likely the logic used by County as they approached Palace for the youngster.

It still remains to be seen how Rydel returns from his lengthy spell on the sidelines, with further injury concerns already emerging which prevented him travelling with the club to Spain for pre-season.

Past loan spells have likely made County an attractive destination

Just last season, County took Louie Barry and Rico Richards on loan from Aston Villa's academy, with the former having the best temporary spell of his young career after multiple tricky stints elsewhere, and the latter getting his first taste of consistent minutes in senior football.

In both cases, the pair's time at Edgeley Park has progressed their careers significantly and made them a more attractive proposition going forward.

That track record has likely gone some way to promoting County in the minds of the player and his parent club. The fact that the League One newcomers can fend off interest from Wigan, a club bouncing between the upper echelons of the third tier and lower reaches of the Championship, shows how influential that may be.

All parties involved will hope Adaramola will experience similar success, which will then only serve to make the Hatters more attractive to prospective loan clubs as they potentially continue their rise through the leagues. It has every chance of being a successful move for all concerned.