Hibernian Sign Nathan Lowe on Loan from Stoke City

Hibernian have moved to sharpen their attack with the season-long loan signing of Nathan Lowe from Stoke City – a deal that carries the clear stamp of intent from Easter Road.

David Gray has been searching for exactly this profile of forward. A focal point. A finisher. Someone who relishes the physical scrap as much as the final touch. In Lowe, he believes he has found it.

The 20-year-old arrives with a growing reputation from England’s lower leagues and a CV that is already more substantial than his age suggests. An England Under-19 international, Lowe came through Stoke’s academy and has been tested across League Two and League One with Walsall, Stockport County and Wycombe Wanderers.

Stoke’s faith in him is obvious. He signed a four-and-a-half-year contract in January 2024 and has now agreed an extension running to 2029, tied in with this move to the Scottish Premiership. This is not a club offloading a fringe player. It is a long-term asset being sent north to harden his edges.

Lowe has made eight starts and 21 substitute appearances for Stoke’s first team, scoring twice, but it was at Walsall where his scoring instincts truly caught fire. In League Two he hit 18 goals and supplied seven assists in just 30 appearances, form that earned him the English League Two Young Player of the Year Award and underlined his knack for decisive moments in the box.

The following campaign underlined that this was no one-off surge. Split between Stockport and Wycombe, he still found the net 11 times across the season, adapting to two different promotion-chasing environments in League Two and League One and showing he can carry threat in contrasting systems.

Gray, speaking to Hibs’ club channels, highlighted exactly what he sees: energy, enthusiasm, a robust frame up top and, crucially, a “natural goalscorer” with a variety of finishes in his locker. For a Hibernian side eager to add punch and presence in the final third, those attributes are not a luxury – they are a necessity.

From Stoke’s side, this is a carefully chosen next step. Sporting director Jonathan Walters pointed to Lowe’s maturity and his determination to test himself in a new country. The lure is not just top-flight football in Scotland but the chance to sample European competition with Hibs, a fresh stage that Stoke believe will accelerate his development. They will be watching closely.

For Hibernian, the equation is simpler. They have brought in a young striker who has already proved he can handle the grind of senior football and convert chances at a serious rate. If Lowe brings that same ruthless edge to Edinburgh, this loan could reshape their attacking outlook – and fast.