Liverpool supporters have been patiently waiting for Stefan Bajcetic to make his return from injury and become a first team option for Arne Slot.
The young Spaniard broke out brilliantly under Jurgen Klopp in 2022, marking himself out as a potential star of the future.
However, things soon turned sour for Bajcetic, with injuries limiting him to just three Liverpool appearances across nearly three years.
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The 21-year-old had hamstring surgery following a year spent out on-loan in 2024/25, and journalist Lewis Steele reported on Wednesday that Liverpool still believe in Bajcetic’s potential.
However, fellow Liverpool-based reporter David Lynch has now taken an opposite stance, claiming that the Reds do not see Bajcetic as part of their plans and could even sanction a permanent sale.
Stefan Bajcetic unlikely to have a Liverpool future
Given how good he was when coming through as an 18-year-old, many Liverpool fans would love to see Bajcetic come back into the senior squad.
The Spain U21 international could plug a hole as a somewhat like-for-like back-up to Ryan Gravenberch and clearly has the technical quality to be a success at Anfield.
Stefan Bajcetic pictured at Anfield during Liverpool's Premier League match against Brighton.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
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Not according to Lynch, unfortunately, who claims that a ‘sad’ decision has already been made that Bajcetic is likely to move on.
“I last kind of asked about it and he was not fit in that moment, certainly not fully fit,” the journalist told Anfield Index. “One thing I would say, people are clearly asking about it with with a mind on him coming into the first team picture. I would forget about that now to be honest. I don’t think he will, certainly under this manager.
“But just generally speaking I think he’s not going to be in the frame. I know he broke through and he looked incredibly promising but those injuries have robbed him of an awful lot of football at a really important time in his career.”
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“I would not be shocked if once he gets fit he heads out, maybe on a loan but there’s also a possibility of a permanent there, because I just don’t get the feeling at all he’s in Liverpool’s long-term plans now.
“I think that decision’s been made a while ago so it’s just probably not worth thinking about him as an option for Liverpool going forward to be honest as sad as that is because I thought he was he was excellent when he broke through.”
Liverpool must not sell Bajcetic permanently
While it is understandable that Bajcetic would have lost a little bit during his injury troubles, there is still a very good player in there.
As young as he is, Liverpool must not cut ties with him until they are absolutely sure he cannot become a first team player at Anfield.
After missing such a huge amount of football, it is important that Bajcetic gets back to playing next season. But that must be a loan, not a permanent transfer.
If he can play regularly and to a good level, there is no reason Liverpool should not take another look at him.
For whatever reason, though, Slot seems to have taken a dim view of Bajcetic, and it may be that while the Dutch coach is in situ he may have to start looking elsewhere. That would be a shame for Liverpool to lose a player who looked like he could be a mainstay in the midfield for years to come.
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