Stockport County may have a painful way to fund Nathan Lowe, Stoke City deal | OneFootball

The Hatters are one of the parties eyeing Nathan Lowe, and they may have a route to financing a permanent deal

Stockport County are reportedly keen on young Stoke City striker Nathan Lowe.

Reports have surfaced that suggest the Hatters, along with Luton Town, Wycombe Wanderers and Huddersfield Town, are all keen on loaning the 19-year-old.

But it was also revealed, by Alan Nixon via his Patreon page, that the Potters could be open to a permanent sale if their valuation is met.

With murmurings of interest in County striker Tanto Olaofe, the Hatters may have a painful way to fund such a deal.

Stoke may be open to selling Lowe

With Lowe still only 19 years old, coming off the back of a strong half-season loan that saw him net 15 goals in 22 appearances in League Two for Walsall, a loan to the third tier appears sensible.

But Nixon revealed that Stoke may actually be open to a sale, with £2.5m the figure mooted figure that could twist Stoke’s arm.

However, the fact that Lowe is for sale has since been disputed by the Stoke Sentinel.

It’s likely that we won’t know the full story until we see the young forward pop up wearing a different shirt, but what seems increasingly apparent is that Lowe is not in Mark Robins’ immediate plans next term.

County will need to move fast to land Lowe

Having finished third before narrowly crashing out of the play-offs to Leyton Orient, there is little for the Hatters to complain about from last season.

But, if you were to look at them with a critical eye, the lack of a prolific goalscorer would likely be your first port of call.

Louie Barry was the club’s top League One scorer last term, and he only played until New Year, with Kyle Wootton coming in second with 11 goals.

Most of the teams around County in the table had the talismanic goal-getter the Hatters lacked, and Lowe may solve that issue.

However, County will need to act fast.

There are known to be three clubs, along with County, keen on the striker and, following Nixon’s report, Huddersfield are “getting close” to paying the £2.5m asking price for Lowe.

Dave Challinor’s side will need to act fast is Lowe is their target.

County could part-fund Lowe, but it wouldn’t be painless

If Lowe is available for £2.5m, that’s still a hefty fee for a club like the Hatters to pay, who are, by owner Mark Stott’s own admission, not the richest club in the division.

But journalist Sam Byrne did confirm earlier this month that he had “heard talk of interest” in Tanto Olaofe this summer.

Olaofe signed a three-year contract last summer, with an optional year, and having bounced on from his 20-goal season in League Two to another strong campaign in the third tier, at 25 years old, he is one of the Hatters’ most marketable assets.

It’s difficult to put a precise sum on what a club might pay for him, or what it’d take for the Hatters to sanction his exit, but based on those factors, it’s easy to see how he might fund a portion of the proposed £2.5m asking price for Lowe.

It would, however, not be a painless sale, as Olaofe has risen to become a fan favourite since joining the club from Millwall in 2023.