Report: Liverpool star moves closer to the exit door amid La Liga interest | OneFootball

Stefan Bajcetic, Liverpool and La Liga, why this summer feels decisive

Liverpool have a midfield issue to sort, and Stefan Bajcetic sits right in the middle of it. According to Marca, the 21-year-old wants a move back to Spain, with La Liga interest building while Andoni Iraola starts work at Anfield.

This is where things get awkward. Bajcetic is talented, young and, in theory, exactly the sort of player Liverpool should be protecting. He is also entering the final year of his contract in 2027, returning from a serious injury lay-off and short on senior minutes. That is a bad combination for any club trying to plan properly.

Iraola has inherited a squad with several unresolved cases in midfield. Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones both have questions hanging over them, and Bajcetic belongs in the same conversation. The difference is that Bajcetic’s situation looks more fragile, because fitness, form and contract length are all in play at once.

Photo: IMAGO

Liverpool face a contract decision

There is a simple reality here. Liverpool are unlikely to send a player out on loan when he has only one year left on his deal. Clubs do not generally take that route unless they are prepared to lose control of the asset. If Bajcetic needs regular football, and he probably does, then Liverpool must either renew him or seriously consider a sale now.

That is why the Spanish interest matters. Sevilla, Rayo Vallecano and Getafe have all been mentioned. From the player’s side, the report is direct enough. “But Iraola wants to keep him for now; he wants to see him during preseason, “ the report reads. “If he stays, he’ll renew his contract with Liverpool. If not, he’ll look for another club. He wants to return to Spain.”

There is no mystery in that. The player wants clarity, and likely wants a setting where he can play consistently. After so much time lost to injury, that is a rational position.

Andoni Iraola must make a fast call

Iraola reportedly rates Bajcetic, which helps. But liking a player and being able to use him are different things. Pre-season is useful, though it is not a magic trick. Liverpool need to know whether Bajcetic can contribute in the Premier League this season, whether he can physically handle the load, and whether he sees his future at the club.

If the answer is yes, then a renewal should be pushed quickly. If the answer is no, then Liverpool should sell from a position of realism rather than drift into the final months of the contract and weaken their leverage.

La Liga route may suit all parties

A return to Spain would not be some grand betrayal. It may simply be the cleanest football solution. Bajcetic came through at Celta Vigo before Liverpool signed him in late 2020, and his style has always suggested a player who values rhythm, positioning and control. If La Liga clubs believe they can restore him, Liverpool have to decide whether they still believe they can do the same.

For the player, this is probably make-or-break. For the club, it is a test of decisiveness. Good clubs are ruthless with timing. Liverpool cannot afford to be sentimental, and they cannot afford to be vague either.

Our View

From a disappointed Liverpool supporter’s perspective, this feels all too familiar. A promising young player breaks through, injuries hit, development stalls, and suddenly the club are left trying to solve three problems at once. Fitness, contract and future. That is not squad building, that is firefighting.

If Bajcetic genuinely wants Spain, then Liverpool need to get to the point quickly. No endless pre-season soap opera, no weeks of mixed signals, no pretending there is no urgency because he is a good technical player. He either wants to be here and sign, or he does not. Simple.

What frustrates supporters is that Bajcetic once looked like a midfielder Liverpool could build with. He had personality, calmness and tactical intelligence. Now the conversation is about whether the club can salvage value before the contract clock runs down. That is poor management of an asset, however you dress it up.

Iraola deserves time to assess him, absolutely. But the club hierarchy also need to be sharper than they have been in similar situations before. If he stays, renew him and give him a proper pathway. If he goes, sell well and move on. What supporters do not want is another case drifting into September with no clear outcome and everyone pretending that uncertainty is part of some bigger plan.

Source: Marca