Liverpool are set to short-circuit Stefan Bajcetic's loan at Red Bull Salzburg this month so the midfielder can be sent elsewhere.
Bajcetic, 22, earned rave reviews during the 2022/23 season as he broke into Jurgen Klopp's first-team plans. But after making just three appearances under Klopp last season, the Spain Under-21 star was loaned out this summer.
The Reds would then give Bajcetic the green light to join Klopp's former assistant, Pep Lijnders, in Austria. However, he was sacked last month and it looks like Bajcetic will follow him out of Salzburg in the coming days.
It is reported that he will spend the second half of the season on loan in La Liga with Real Betis, who are in advanced talks over a six-month contract.
Competition for midfield places has grown significantly at Anfield over the past twelve months, with Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister all impressing since joining the club in last year's summer transfer window.
But Bajcetic's impact did not go unnoticed as he stepped up amid a crippling injury crisis in the previous campaign. He was even named Liverpool's 'best player' of the season by Mohamed Salah at one point, speaking after a win over Everton in 2023.
“He's a great player and person, he always tries to work hard. Since he started playing for us he's been arguably our best player, so hopefully he keeps that confidence and keeps going,” Salah said.
And although Arne Slot decided against keeping Bajcetic this season, he has made no secret of how highly he rates the talented youngster.
Earlier this season, the Dutchman said: “I hope it will be a big year [Bajcetic] because he is a very talented player and I think he could become a very important player for us, but only if he gets playing time now.
“When you're so young and you've been out for so long, all you need is playing time. He could have playing time here, but we have six or seven very good midfielders, so his playing time here will always be more limited than we expect from him in Salzburg.
“So for him, and for us, we think it's best for him to play at the moment, rather than maybe playing a few times and then sitting on the bench again for a long time. It is very difficult to keep a player fit who has been out for fifteen months if you only play him occasionally. Then we have a player for next season. If he lives up to his potential, [he] could definitely play for us in the future.”
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