Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe has cheekily claimed that he’d love to sign Liverpool youngster Stefan Bajcetic.
Bajcetic earned plenty of plaudits for his display last night, as Liverpool beat Wolves 1-0 in the FA Cup. One of those to laud his display was Preston boss Lowe. Covering reaction to the game for BBC’s Football Daily show, the manager was asked what was so good about the 18-year-old last night.
“I’m not going to tell you, because I wouldn’t mind taking him on loan next season!” laughed Lowe. “So, I’m going to keep it on the Q-T.
“But, you know what I like about him, as a midfielder he doesn’t get himself tagged with anyone. You look at the players in the Premier League, they are bigger and stronger physical presences, but he doesn’t get himself tagged with it.
“His awareness when the ball comes to him – I always say to my midfielders to always check your shoulder and be scanning. He knows the pass before it comes to him and listen, he’s playing with one of the best midfielders in the world, in Thiago.
“He’s getting that experience, but I just thought his passages of play, the way he moved the ball, (being) on the front foot at times, interceptions – I thought the kid was fantastic and he’s got a bright, bright future at Liverpool.”
Bajcetic makes a name for himself
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has watched Bajcetic since he burst into the Liverpool first team this season.
Right from the very start of pre-season, he looked like a player who could be an option for Jurgen Klopp. In the months since, he has shown that he absolutely can be.
Yesterday’s showing at Wolves was another step forward in that respect. Not only did he complete 75 minutes away from home against Premier League opposition, he was one of his team’s best players.
With Liverpool’s midfield being decried as an area that badly needs improving, Bajcetic has emerged as a real bright spot.
What his next move is will likely depend on what he does for the rest of this season. Should he continue to make these medium-sized steps, he should make up part of the squad for next campaign.
But this is a lot to expect from such a young player. It could be a good option to send him on-loan to the likes of Preston as he develops his game playing week after week. In the same way that Tyler Morton is excelling at Blackburn, Bajcetic might be wise to find a similar move.
That’s all for the future, though. For now, we’re just enjoying seeing how Stefan improves game on game. Exciting times.
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