Arne Slot close to ENORMOUS boost with versatile Liverpool star's return | OneFootball

Liverpool have so many players on their books that it's easy for some to be forgotten.

New signings are often brought in and those on the periphery of the first team can find themselves demoted to the youth teams or sent out on loan to get regular minutes before they're assessed again.

This has been the case with one fan-favourite in particular, who hasn't really been able catch a break over the last few years, although he might finally be starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.

When he's fully recovered from his most recent injury setback, Liverpool will have the chance to add him back into the first-team and given his versatility, he'd be a huge boost to Arne Slot's set-up.

Bajcetic can be a difference-maker

Last season, Spanish midfielder Stefan Bajcetic was sent on loan to RB Salzburg to work under former-Red Pep Lijnders, although his spell in Austria resulted in disaster as the team struggled to find cohesion, leading to a sequence of poor results. He got very little from the experience.

Shop the LFC Store

LFC x adidas

Shop the home range today!

LFC x adidas

Shop the goalkeeper range today

LFC x adidas Third Kit

Shop the third kit range today!

Following that first half of the season, he was recalled and sent to Las Palmas in the La Liga second division, where the environment was completely different. He found his feet and looked really bright.

There was a lot of anticipation for this season following his time away from Merseyside and pre-season was the perfect opportunity for him to shine, only for him to be impacted by injury struggles.

His record at just 20 years old is staggering, having missed 83 matches over the last five seasons.

But his most recent hamstring strain concern seems to be nearing its conclusion, following an update he posted to social media last week where he said he was 'counting the days' until his return.

Since he's still so young, the Reds have not wanted to give up on him, because the appearances he's made for the club have been really positive. He can put in a shift across the midfield and the defence.

His composure on the ball is similar to that of Ryan Gravenberch and while Wataru Endo is the formal back-up to the Dutchman, you feel Slot will be hoping to get Bajcetic involved as soon as possible.

Liverpool's current midfield setup has delivered a lot of underwhelming performances so far this season; notably, Alexis Mac Allister hasn't been himself yet this season. Once fit, Bajcetic will finally have the opportunity he's been waiting for to break into the team. He can be a difference-maker.

We saw glimpses of his quality last season, ranking second in terms of defensive actions per 90 minutes (12.82) and fourth in terms of interceptions per 90 (6.45) across Europe's top five leagues.

Missing a presence like his on the pitch and in the squad in general is a significant problem and once he's back, we could see a few of Liverpool's issues start to fade. Whether his impact is going to be massive or not is the big question. No one knows the answer. But he'd definitely boost Slot's options.