According to a local source in Spain, La Liga side Celta Vigo are considering taking Stefan Bajcetic on loan for the season ahead.
The 19-year-old returned to action at the end of Liverpool’s last campaign and has had a full pre-season to build his fitness for the coming campaign.
With plenty of competition in midfield for Bajcetic, Arne Slot and the club are “prepared to sanction” a loan for the Spaniard before the transfer window closes.
Galician newspaper Faro de Vigo report that Celta Vigo are now considering taking the 19-year-old on loan but a move would depend on other factors.
First, though, Celta must offload some of their own players before moving for the Liverpool man.
They must also agree to play him as a midfielder rather than as a central defender, a position he has played on occasion for Spain’s youth teams.
It could be an attractive option to Bajcetic who would be returning to his hometown club where he began his career. Having come through Celta’s academy, the Spaniard left for Merseyside when Liverpool paid £225,000 in December 2020.
Bajcetic became a household name for Liverpool supporters when he broke through during the 2022/23 season, excelling in a side that was struggling for results.
Injury, though, has since prevented him from kicking on – last season, he made just three appearances for the first team.
Despite appearing to be OK with Bajcetic leaving on loan, Slot was positive about his prospects after playing 30 minutes against Real Betis, but he was quick to divert any pressure away from the player.
“I think you have to take into account with Stefan that he was out for a year, one-and-a-half years almost,” the head coach told LFC TV.
“So if a young player is out for that long, you have to give him some time. But I saw today already a few good moments from him and also a few moments where he got caught, because he reacted a bit too slow.
“But I think that’s normal if you’ve been out for such a long time, then you need rhythm, you need game time to grow even further. But I think he showed some good moments during the half-hour that he played.”
From a supporter’s perspective, it seems a strange decision to allow him to leave given the number of games Liverpool will have to play this season.
With attributes suited to being a holding midfielder under Slot, it is a reasonable question to ask why he is being loaned out, if that is to be the case.
Bajcetic was among a host of young players left out of the Under-21s’ squad for their PL International Cup match on Wednesday night, resulting in a heavy defeat to PSV.
