Stefan Bajcetic‘s proposed loan move to Red Bull Salzburg may have hit a snag after reports of a late bid from Barcelona.
Amid interest from a host of clubs in Spain and England, Bajcetic has been expected to join Pepijn Lijnders‘ Salzburg on a season-long loan.
It was even claimed that the midfielder had undergone a medical in Austria earlier on Wednesday, with an announcement seeming imminent.
However, journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported a last-hour approach from Barcelona, followed up by reports from Relevo in Spain – which Romano disputes.
Romano’s initial update cited a straight loan bid including a €4 million (£3.4m) fee, but Relevo claim that they have also requested an option to buy worth €30 million (£25.3m).
That would value Bajcetic at £28.7 million, with Barcelona also said to have offered a €70 million (£59m) buy-back option and a 20 percent sell-on clause.
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool – or the player himself – would accept such an offer, with the expectation having been that he would spend the campaign out on loan before rejoining Arne Slot‘s squad.
Bajcetic is a native Spaniard, though, and the prospect of returning to his home country could be an appealing one.
The proposed £3.4 million loan fee would already be a sizeable profit on the £224,000 paid to sign the midfielder from Celta Vigo in 2021, not to mention the possibility of a further £25.3 million on top if a permanent transfer went through.
Considering it is Barcelona, whose financial troubles are well renowned, that ‘if’ is a big one – and Liverpool would likely seek an obligation to buy, rather than an option.
The Spanish transfer window closes on Friday, as it does in England, with any resolution on Bajcetic’s future likely to be made sooner rather than later.
That decision could be swayed by developments when it comes to Tyler Morton, with Sky Sports reporting that he is now set to stay at Liverpool after Bayer Leverkusen’s loan bid was rejected on Wednesday.
