Stefan Bajcetic completed a season-long loan deal in the closing stages of the transfer window, joining Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian Bundesliga.
The 19-year-old featured for new coach Arne Slot in pre-season and with Liverpool failing to land a No.6 in the summer transfer window it was expected that the Spain youth international would be given an opportunity to compete for a spot at the base in midfield.
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Nonetheless, Bajcetic was instead listed for loan with Salzburg – along with Barcelona – interested in adding the ball-winner to their ranks for the 2024/25 season.
Barcelona’s late attempts to take the player on loan ultimately failed and he instead made the move to join former Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders in the Austrian top flight.
Links have been well established between Liverpool and the Red Bull empire with Lijnders and another former Liverpool coach Vitor Matos now overseeing the programme in Salzburg.
Liverpool and Red Bull links
Furthermore there has been plenty of player trading between the two sides with Bajcetic as well as Bobby Clark moving to the Austria giants last summer.
While Bajcetic is on a one-year loan with no option to buy, midfielder Clark has instead signed a permanent deal under Lijnders.
In the past the likes of Sadio Mane, Naby Keita, Takumi Minamino, Ibrahima Konate and Dominik Szoboszlai have all featured for Liverpool having made the grade at Salzburg or sister club RB Leipzig in the German top flight.
Others such as Peter Gulasci and Andre Wisdom have in the past made the same journey as Bajcetic and Clark while another youngster Fabio Carvalho also joined Leipzig on loan last season.
Furthermore former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was recently linked with Red Bull’s coveted Head of Global Soccer role although the German remains committed to enjoying his sabbatical.
Bajcetic future secure with Liverpool
It’s clear Liverpool trust Salzburg under Lijnders with Bajcetic’s development and it’s now been revealed that the midfielder’s future is SECURE with the Reds in the long term.
While eyebrows were raised when the highly-rated Bajcetic was permitted to leave, it’s emerged that he will have a significant part to play when he returns to the AXA Training Centre next summer.
A report in the Athletic suggests that Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes and head coach Arne Slot decided Bajcetic’s interests were best served this season with regular football on loan having returned from an agonisingly long injury layoff.
Bajcetic set to compete for starting spot
He missed practically the entirety of last season due to a complex calf injury, making his comeback by playing 25 minutes of the 4-2 win against Tottenham in May.
Liverpool’s top brass are aiming for Bajcetic to ‘rediscover his rhythm’ at Salzburg, according to the report. While some loan deals are designed to showcase a young player’s potential to prospective bidders, Bajcetic is certainly a player Liverpool are planning to keep around.
“The plan is that he comes back next summer ready to compete for a starting spot in Slot’s side,” writes the Athletic’s James Pearce.
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