Stoke City are surely considering breaking Walsall hearts in January | OneFootball

Young forward Nathan Lowe has been in sparkling form while on loan at Walsall, and parent club Stoke must be considering a January recall.

Midtable Stoke City haven't found goals easy to come by so far this season, but the solution might be right under their nose in the shape of a youngster currently out on loan at a League Two club, with Nathan Lowe currently in red-hot form for Walsall.

The Potters lost for the first time in six matches last weekend, as Burnley took the spoils from the clash at bet365 Stadium but City have been very inconsistent on the whole and find themselves in 14th place in the Championship standings, six points above the drop zone as we head to the midway point of the 2024/25 campaign.

A club that are seemingly in constant change and upheaval, Stoke sacked previous boss Steven Schumacher in September and replaced him with Narcís Pelach, and the Spaniard has a decision to make as the January transfer window approaches.

City often struggle for goals, with the limited options in forward areas having a detrimental impact on their hopes of pushing on into the higher reaches of the division.

Irishman Tom Cannon, who is on loan from Leicester City, is a very capable striker at Championship level but could do with someone to share the goalscoring burden.

Fellow forward Sam Gallagher is frustratingly prone to injury, Niall Ennis is out of favour, while Dutchman Million Manhoef and youngster Emre Tezgel are better suited to deeper attacking roles.

Pelach will be fully aware of the situation, but before he considers getting the chequebook out, he may seek to recall the in-form Lowe to see if he can maintain his form at a higher level.

Teenager would give Stoke a greater cutting-edge

19-year-old Lowe has progressed through the youth system with the Potters, playing regularly for the club's Under-18, Under-21, and Under-23 sides over the past three years.

The England Under-19 striker is highly thought of in the Midlands, and, having made his senior debut in early 2023, signed a new, long-term deal in January that will keep him with the Potters until 2028.

Lowe has made a handful of appearances for City, netting the winner in last September's victory over Bristol City, but has spent the last five months developing his game with fourth-tier Walsall, to great effect, having scored 12 goals in all competitions to this point, nine of those coming in the league.

The youngster is a real physical presence, both aerially and in terms of pace in behind. He's able to play the main striker's role comfortably, strong in his hold-up play, with real tenacity in the press.

A superb finisher, Lowe is equally capable of operating as a foil for a strike partner and given Stoke's attacking struggles and limitations, Pelach must be considering activating his January recall clause and letting him loose on Championship opponents.

Lowe's recall would be a huge blow to Walsall's promotion push

Walsall have looked very strong in the opening part of their 2024/25 League Two campaign, currently sitting in the promotion places below current league leaders Port Vale.

Mathew Sadler's men look a formidable unit, strong defensively, physically resolute, and incisive when attacking, both from open play and set-pieces.

A major part of their forward threat is the strike partnership built between Lowe and the experienced Jamille Matt.

Matt's experience and guile complement Lowe's youthful exuberance perfectly, with both offering differing attributes that have blended them into one of the division's most feared forward lines.

However, should Lowe be recalled by his parent club, it would be a real blow, and although Danny Johnson is waiting in the wings as a potential replacement, he's struggled to recreate the impact of the Stoke youngster when called upon.

Lowe and Matt's attacking link-up is a huge factor in Walsall's strong start, and should he return to the Potters in January, it would set the Saddlers back immeasurably.

However, Pelach must surely be considering breaking Walsall hearts in an attempt to get his Stoke side firing in front of goal.