While Liverpool is edging closer to the Premier League title, it remains true that this will be a big summer for Arne Slot’s side. In the next transfer window, sporting director Richard Hughes is going to be busy.
There is one player, however, who should not be overlooked in the longer term. Two years ago, Stefan Bajcetic was impressing under Jurgen Klopp. Injuries halted his progress but still only 20 years old, there is a reason that Barcelona wanted to sign him last summer.
Instead, Bajcetic headed for Austria to link up with Pep Lijnders. That loan move to Red Bull Salzburg didn’t work out, though — Lijnders was fired before Christmas and the Spanish midfielder decided to switch to Las Palmas.
Clearly a huge talent but in need of regular game time and some proper rhythm, Bajcetic at his best would be the ideal back-up for Ryan Gravenberch in the number six role at Anfield.
“Las Palmas is a team that plays good football and gives opportunities to players who come on loan,” Bajcetic said at his unveiling. “I think I can improve here. I spoke with the coach (Diego Martinez) before signing, and from the start, he gave me a lot of confidence. He is also from Vigo, like me.”
So far, though, he has struggled to be on the pitch regularly enough to prove it. “In truth, his impact at Las Palmas has been limited,” Matt Clark from the La Liga Lowdown podcast tells Liverpool.com. “He made his debut in the defeat against Girona, and started against Villarreal.
“In the second game, he had to come off injured, which was a concern given his history. To date, he has made eight appearances, totaling just 500 minutes, but he did score a goal away to Mallorca.”
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Signed from Celta Vigo in 2021, Bajcetic is a very gifted midfielder. A good passer and a strong tackler, he fits the mold of what Slot looks for at the base of his midfield — and he can play both further forward and further back too.
“Bajcetic has played a few times as a center-back,” Clark continues. “Firstly, he came on at half-time in a 1-1 draw at fellow strugglers Real Valladolid, and then he played the full 90 as part of a back five in a narrow defeat to in-form Real Betis.
“His most recent appearance, last Monday night at Celta Vigo, also saw him play 45 at the back. But then he didn’t feature in the weekend defeat to Real Sociedad.
“For the other four appearances he has made, he has been at the base of the midfield. That’s the position many would view as his most comfortable.”
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If Bajcetic can get back to the levels that he was at before he was sidelined, there is no doubt that he should have a Liverpool future. Salzburg looked like the perfect place for him and when that didn’t work out as planned, a move back to Spain made sense.
“Being a Spain U21 international, playing in La Liga does bring some sense of familiarity for him,” Clark says. “But Las Palmas is a long way from his Vigo home up in the north-west of the country.
“The fans were certainly excited when he arrived. The club have done quite a lot of business with English clubs, signing Scott McKenna, Oli McBurnie and Fabio Silva this season, all of whom started brightly.
“But unfortunately the fortunes of the club have really taken a hit recently. They are now in the mire of the relegation zone, so confidence is really low.”
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It isn’t the ideal time for Bajcetic to have moved there, then, but the most important thing is that he gets minutes. So far, he has played at least a part in eight out of nine La Liga games.
“The club have had a season of two halves, and unfortunately, 2025 has not been the good half,” Clark explains. “They made a bright start and were comfortably out of danger, catching the eye with an away win over Barcelona at the end of November.
“But they have failed to win a single game in any competition since December 22, and were dumped out of the Copa del Rey after being thrashed by Segunda side Elche. They couldn’t even beat the side at the bottom of the table, and have only collected four points in 2025.
“Now, their form and results leave them in a precarious position to say the least, with relegation looking like an ominously close prospect. Curiously, they had a similar season in 23/24, starting really brightly as a newly-promoted club, only to go on a club-record winless streak, and surviving by the skin of their teeth.”
If Bajcetic is to make it at Liverpool, he has work to do. Having already shown what he can do at his peak, though, there is something to aim for. If he can back there, it will take time — but his style would be perfect for Slot.
