Stoke City: Narcis Pelach successor has to take Nathan Lowe, Walsall stance in 2025 | OneFootball

Lowe has been hugely impressive during his Walsall spell, but could face being recalled in January.

Stoke City loanee Nathan Lowe has enjoyed a fantastic start to the season on loan at table-topping Walsall in League Two.

The 19-year-old has already become one of the fourth division’s most lethal strikers and is currently outscoring several of the league’s biggest names.

Lowe’s eye-catching form has unsurprisingly prompted conversations about whether he should be recalled and loaned to a higher level, left to close out the season with Walsall, or even brought back to Stoke for an opportunity in the first team.

Narcis Pelach became the Potters’ second managerial casualty of the season following their defeat to Leeds United on Boxing Day. Stoke will surely be welcoming a new man into the dugout at the bet365 stadium over the course of January and one of the new boss’ first decisions will be to decide where Lowe’s immediate future lies.

Lowe should stay at Walsall

It could certainly be argued that Lowe would be best served staying at Walsall for the remainder of the season.

The youngster’s loan deal doesn’t expire until the summer, so unless Stoke take action as his parent club, he will remain with the Saddlers.

Parent clubs will always want their young stars playing at as high a level as possible, but given the form of both Walsall and Lowe, there could be little point in recalling him just to send him out again to a club in League One.

Despite League Two being as tight as it usually is, Mat Sadler’s men have already built a substantial lead at the top of the table and their momentum looks unlikely to slow down any time soon.

Lowe has become a central figure in their success, and is now the regular partner to Jamille Matt at the top of Sadler’s 3-5-2 system.

Lowe is playing week in, week out at the Bescott Stadium as part of a side who are in fine form and creating countless chances for him. The Saddlers are the division’s top scorers, while only Notts County have created more big chances as a team.

While it would be ideal for Stoke to test Lowe at League One level for the second half of the season, it’s unlikely he would receive the same amount of game time as he is doing at Walsall. If he did, it would likely be for a team in the bottom half of the table, who probably wouldn’t create as much for Lowe as the Saddlers currently do.

Being tested at the highest possible level is undoubtedly a big part of a youngster’s development, but game time, competition for places, style of football and the success of the team they’re playing in should all be considered as well.

In Walsall, Stoke already have almost all of those boxes ticked.

Lowe should only be recalled if Stoke plan to give him first-team minutes

With that in mind, Stoke should only recall Lowe if their intention is to give him genuine first-team minutes.

A new manager coming into a club often prompts a shake-up within the squad, as the new boss assesses the players he has at his disposal. This can often even see players who are out on loan recalled, which could prove to be the case for Lowe.

Only three Championship sides have scored less than the Potters so far this season, and they’re badly in need of more quality in the final third, something Lowe can definitely provide.

He has already been exposed to second tier football, having made 13 league appearances for Stoke last season.

However, it’s a big ask for a 19-year-old to step up two leagues and instantly provide the spark his club needs to drag themselves away from a relegation battle.

It could also become a less than ideal environment for a young player to develop if Stoke fail to improve and end up facing the pressure of a relegation battle in the latter stages of the season.

Ultimately, if the club feel Lowe is ready for Championship football, there is little reason not to recall him and utilise him, especially considering that Tom Cannon is currently their only player with more than three league goals to his name.

However, if the Potters decide that Lowe is better suited developing away from the club at present, it surely makes more sense for him to stay at Walsall, where he is thriving, rather than move him on to a higher level and risk him struggling to adapt.