Lowe in: Stockport County can have a dream week in the January transfer window with these 2 deals | OneFootball

The Hatters have goals to replace in their squad following the departure of Louie Barry

The January transfer window could prove to be an important one for Stockport County, who have new squad gaps to replace.

They’ve been flying high near the top of League One, thanks in large part to the goals of Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry, who netted 15 times before being recalled by the Premier League side.

That reduction in goalscoring threat will need addressing, but there could also be benefits to be had with outgoings too.

Here, Football League World takes a look at what a dream week in the transfer window would look like for the Hatters…

In: Nathan Lowe (loan)

Much like how Barry has been recalled to potentially find a placement in a higher division, Nathan Lowe — currently on loan with Walsall in League Two from Stoke City — looks primed for a similar move.

The 19-year-old has managed more than a goal every other game since arriving at the Poundland Bescot Stadium in the summer and, given his age and quick start, already looks ready to take the next step.

Straight to the Championship with Stoke might be a big leap, so the Potters, under new manager Mark Robins, may opt to do what Villa are currently looking at with Barry and shift him up a division.

Conversations about what to do with Lowe for the second half of the season are clearly ongoing in Stoke, with the striker having been called back in for training with his parent side, so the new boss can assess him.

If they do opt to send him back out to a different club in a higher division, there will be no end of League One clubs queuing up for his services, given that he’s up with the top scorers in the league below.

The Hatters do have selling points, though: a strong loan reputation thanks to Barry’s stint, a clear squad gap now he’s been recalled, a potential play-off battle to come and a manager in Dave Challinor who favours a similar shape to Walsall’s Mat Sadler, so an easy enough transition in a tactical sense.

Having just lost one promising youngster through the loan system, it would be a dream week for the Hatters if they replaced him with another almost instantly.

Out: Benony Breki Andresson (loan)

Icelandic striker Benony Breki Andresson created much excitement at Edgeley Park when he arrived from KR Reykjavík at the beginning of this month, as one of the first signings of its kind for the Hatters in recent years.

The 19-year-old agreed a three-and-a-half-year deal at County, after netting an impressive 21 goals in 26 games in the Icelandic top tier last term.

But director of football Simon Wilson was clear in the club’s announcement that Andresson is a signing for the future, rather than to have an instant impact now.

Speaking via the club’s website, Wilson said: “Benoný is what we call an emerging talent signing, someone who we believe has high potential for the future but requires a development plan and huge effort from all parties to get him to where we think he can be.”

Therefore, getting him out on loan to experience senior English football, at whichever level the Hatters’ backroom staff feel is appropriate, is the next obvious step for his development if he’s not to be immediately involved in the first team.

After creating such a storm when he arrived, it’d be exciting for fans to get a sense of how he plays on English soil and learn what sort of player they’ve got on their hands.