Liverpool summer midfielder transfer deal in jeopardy after Andoni Iraola issues update

Liverpool have been tipped to conduct a shake-up of their midfield options this summer.

Adam Wharton features firmly on the wishlist - with Crystal Palace thought to be seeking £100m for the 22-year-old.

Others such as Kaishu Sano and Ayyoub Bouaddi have been mentioned after very capable FIFA World Cup performances. In order to faciliate new arrivals outgoings will be necessary.

We’ve seen Harvey Elliott return to the club following an unsuccessful spell on loan at Aston Villa. But the 23-year-old’s future is very much in the balance with only one year left on his deal. In a similar situation is Curtis Jones.

The homegrown 25-year-old is a target for Inter Milan since his contract expires in 2027. If the Italian champions meet the €40m asking price then it looks likely that Jones will be off.

Bajcetic linked with Spanish return

Another player with an expiring contract who could be leaving is Stefan Bajcetic. The Spaniard joined the Reds at the back end of 2020 from Celta Vigo - going on to enjoy a decisive breakthrough under Jurgen Klopp.

But the Spain under-21 international’s career has hit the buffers over the last couple of years. The 21-year-old is without a Liverpool first-team appearance in over two years.

A combination of ill-advised loan spells - at Red Bull Salzburg and Las Palmas - and injuries have all served to limit his impact.

Sevilla and others want Bajcetic

He has now been suggested as a summer departure - and a loan deal is a remote possibility unless he signs a new deal. A few weeks back it was noted that Bajcetic is a target for several Spanish teams - including Getafe, Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla.

Described as a low-cost option Bajcetic wouldn’t command a high fee due to being out of contract in a year and being out of match rhythm.

But Bajcetic leaving right now doesn’t look like it’s on the cards following the update on his condition given by new head coach Andoni Iraola.

Bajcetic's recovery is slow: Not ready for move

Despite being back to work at the AXA Training Centre it doesn’t appear as though Bajcetic is anywhere near match fit.

He was initially pencilled in to join in with preseason activities but the Basque tactico has now confirmed he is not nearing a return to training activities alongside his teammates.

“Then we have Stefan that is doing slowly, slowly better but is still not ready to train with us,” the new head coach said.

It’s highly unlikely that any La Liga team will take a punt on Bajcetic while he is in this condition.

Instead if he remains sidelined until the close of the window - on September 1 - then he will be sticking around for the season.

Bajcetic would then either require a new contract or else Liverpool will have to prepare to lose a once-promising talent on a free when his contract expires in 2027.