Liverpool midfielder now FIGHTING for his future

Liverpool last summer opted to persist with the same midfield options that won them the Premier League title in the 2024/25 season.

Rather than signing any new faces sporting director Richard Hughes went into the new campaign with Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo as his quintet.

Indeed Hughes also opted to let James McConnell and Harvey Elliott depart on loan and concluded a permanent deal for Tyler Morton to join Lyon.

That left Arne Slot’s midfield stripped for parts - and the load has been heavy on all five players this season. At one stage or another they have all been injured and at times the Anfield club have been crying out for added numbers.

Bajcetic's injury nightmare

One player who could have stepped into the breach this term is Stefan Bajcetic - but owing to a series of complex injury setbacks the Spaniard has been unable to do so.

It’s now been over 600 days since the 21-year-old played in Liverpool’s first team - and that appearance was the only one he made in the 2023/24 campaign.

Bajcetic has been plagued by injuries during his Reds’ career so far - although he did make a decisive breakthrough on loan at Las Palmas last season.

After a poor spell at Red Bull Salzburg in the first half of the campaign the midfielder came into his own in LaLiga. But a hamstring issue curtailed his time in the Canary Islands - with the player requiring surgery over the summer.

He has been hampered by another setback since then and is not expected to be fit until the end of January. That’s according to a report in the Athletic - which claims that Bajcetic has got little chance of moving out on loan this month.

Bajcetic fighting for his future at Anfield

Instead it looks like the only football he will get is with the Reds’ under-21s and there are no guarantees he will remain at the club beyond next summer.

“Bajcetic had hoped to be back competing for a place in Liverpool’s first team before Christmas, but has had to deal with a fresh hamstring issue that has thwarted his progress at Anfield and most likely put an end to any chance of leaving on loan in the January transfer window,” the report reads.

“As Bajcetic is unlikely to be available until at least the end of the month, it means his only realistic chance of football this season will be with Liverpool’s under-21s, unless he can somehow force his way into the first-team picture.

“With a stack of senior players ahead of him and the emergence of 18-year-old Trey Nyoni, that could be difficult. Bajcetic knows he is fighting for a future.”

Bajcetic under contract until 2027

Bajcetic’s contract only extends until the summer of 2027 and so this summer may represent Liverpool’s last chance to earn some decent money through a sale.

The likes of Valencia and Celta Vigo - his original club - were linked with move last summer but didn’t come to fruition.

It will be interesting to see whether Bajcetic can get himself fit and back into the reckoning before the end of the campaign. His Liverpool future could well depend on it.

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