Our Stoke City fan pundit discussed whether Nathan Lowe should be kept at the club this summer
It was a disappointing 2023/24 campaign for Stoke City, but there were some signs towards the end of the season that better times could be around the corner under Steven Schumacher.
The Potters were unbeaten in their final four games, winning three of them, which helped them pull away from the bottom three and finish in 17th place despite looking like they were in real danger of being relegated.
Ahead of his first full season in charge, Schumacher will be looking to re-shape his squad, and that could involve players leaving as well as players coming in.
Young players on the fringes of the Potters’ first-team could be loaned out to clubs in the lower leagues to gain experience, and it will be interesting to see which players are chosen to leave the club on loan this summer.
Stoke City urged to send Nathan Lowe on loan this summer
Our Stoke City fan pundit Liam Birks has urged his club’s hierarchy to send youngster Nathan Lowe on loan this summer to allow the 18-year-old to play regular first-team football.
Speaking to Football League World, Liam said: “In regards to Nathan Lowe, 100% Stoke should be loaning him out.
“He got one goal last season, the last minute winner against Bristol City, but the times he has played, you can tell he’s not ready for this level.
“He didn’t get a lot of service, to be fair, but I think he just needs more games at professional level and I could see him going to a League Two team in all honesty. I don’t even think he’s at League One level yet.
“He’s got a bright future, he’s just nowhere near the finished article yet and with Emre Tezgel coming back from his loan, there’s more chance he could get some games, although he might be loaned out, but Nathan Lowe definitely needs to go out and spend some time on loan.”
Nathan Lowe could certainly do with a loan spell
It must be remembered that Nathan Lowe is only 18 years old, so there is no shame in being loaned out, and the fact he played semi-regularly in the Championship last season is an impressive feat in itself.
The striker joined the Potters at U10 level and has worked his way up through the academy, but if he wants to kick on and improve, then a loan away from The bet365 Stadium is needed.
He’s shown he’s capable of finding the back of the net in Premier League 2 for Stoke U21 side, scoring six goals and registering two assists in 11 appearances during the most recent campaign, but he needs to take the next step and start playing men’s football.
| Nathan Lowe’s 2023/24 season – Transfermarkt | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | P | G | A |
| Championship | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Premier League 2 | 11 | 6 | 2 |
| FA Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Carabao Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Playing senior football, whether that’s in League One or League Two, will help Lowe develop the physical side of his game, and there’s no doubt that he’d return to Stoke as a better player than when he left, and it would be far more beneficial than playing U21 football.
There’s no doubt that Lowe can finish, he just needs to develop physically, and that would come with more first-team experience, wherever that might be.