Liverpool supporters could be forgiven for meeting Stefan Bajcetic’s latest return to first-team training with a frustrated eye-roll.
The young Spaniard has seemingly been on the cusp of a return to action for a while now, but it remains a fact that his last appearance for Liverpool now came more than two years ago.
Many will have written Bajcetic off already, and given he has not played any level of football since turning out for Las Palmas on loan in May 2025, that is understandable. His re-joining of the group during Liverpool’s pre-season tour in the USA will not change anything for plenty of supporters.
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Nevertheless, it is worth remembering that Bajcetic was excellent during the second half of 24/25, when he looked a class above his Las Palmas teammates as they were relegated from La Liga.
Hamstring surgery and a year out will have potentially had a damaging impact on the 21-year-old, but the form he showed while playing in the top division in Spain should mean that he is given a chance to get his career back on track at Liverpool in 26/27.
Bajcetic deserves another season at Liverpool
If Bajcetic were not heading into the final year of his deal at Anfield, the answer over the question of his future would be an easy one: he should stay and provide depth to Andoni Iraola’s midfield.
That he is out of contract next summer does complicate things slightly, as the Reds will be wary of losing out on what could be a decent transfer fee.
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However, what could Liverpool realistically get for Bajcetic right now? They would be better off reintegrating him properly and giving him the chance to show that he can still be the player many had assumed he would become.
The former Celta Vigo youngster was genuinely outstanding upon breaking through in 2022, and he showed that he can still be that player while with Las Palmas.
Still not 22 until late October, Bajcetic has time on his side, and though last year should really have been his big return, if he can stay injury free this summer, there is a future for him at Liverpool.
Bajcetic’s centre-back potential should not be ignored
As well as providing Liverpool with much-needed depth in midfield, keeping Bajcetic could also help the Reds plug what has the potential to be a problem in defence as well.
The Reds are currently heading into the season with four centre-backs: one young player coming off the back of a big knee injury, a 21-year-old unproven in the Premier League, an injury-prone and ageing defender and a 35-year-old who has just played more football than anyone else in Europe. They are likely to need some extra cover.
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Bajcetic played at centre-back for Las Palmas, and, given his past, that should not be a surprise. The Spain U21 international initially joined Liverpool as a centre-back, before stepping into midfield.
The Reds currently look unlikely to add another defender to their squad via the transfer window, and though there is hope for youngsters like Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye, Bajcetic can provide a more experienced option in the meantime.
It is a worry that his last football came such a long time ago, but it should fill fans with some confidence that when he did play in 2025, Bajcetic still largely looked like the player who wowed Jurgen Klopp two-and-a-half years earlier. That alone should be enough to sway Richard Hughes and Iraola into letting him have another crack at Anfield.
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