Liverpool have opted to complete a number of deadline-day loan deals, with Stefan Bajcetic included among them.
The Spanish-Serb footballer found himself joining Bobby Clark and former Reds assistant coach Pep Lijnders at RB Salzburg.
Arne Slot admitted playing time would likely be limited for the youngster this term, though suggested time spent away in the Austrian Bundesliga could see things change in that regard.
“I hope it will be a big year for him because he’s a very talented player and I think he could become a very important player for us, but only if he gets playing time now,” the Dutch head coach’s comments were relayed on X (formerly Twitter) by Paul Joyce.
“If you are that young and you’ve been out for so long, the only thing you need is playing time.
“He could have playing time over here, but we’ve got six or seven very good midfielders, so his playing time here will always be more limited than we expect him to play at Salzburg.”
The Times’ reporter went on to add: “So this is for the long term. Again, this club has been smart, in my opinion, for not only looking for the short term, but also the long term. It’s a smart decision, at least in our opinion, to let him go somewhere, where he will hopefully play a lot of games.
“Then for next season, we’ll have a player. If he fulfils his potential, could definitely, definitely play for us in the future.”
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Elsewhere, it was claimed that Liverpool had ‘made inquiries’ over FC Porto’s Alan Varela, though any kind of an attempt at a move failed to come to fruition.
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Given Bajcetic’s obvious speciality, the obvious question that will follow his eventual return at Anfield – providing playing time has been plentiful – is where it leaves the No.6 position.
Naturally, that’s also assuming the question hasn’t already been answered by the quality of Ryan Gravenberch’s performances in the role over the course of an entire season. By that point, it should be clearer how well our No.38 is suited to the demands of the position in Arne Slot’s system.
Ultimately, we’d welcome a best-case scenario possibility that both players prove to be particularly ideal options, ensuring we enter the 2025/26 campaign with genuine depth in the holding midfield position.
At the very least, in the meantime, it serves as a warning to keep our Dutch midfielder on his toes!
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