Liverpool’s transfer dilemma is coming to an end as Arne Slot could get two quick fixes

Such was Stefan Bajcetic’s sudden rise at Liverpool last year that the teenager was still listed as an Academy defender on the club’s official website while playing as a senior midfielder.

Bajcetic was noted for his versatility upon his arrival as a 16-year-old at the end of 2020 from Celta Vigo, but almost four years after his time on Merseyside, the prospect of him lining up at centre-back at Anfield now looks remote .

Instead, there will be a conversation with new head coach Arne Slot about exactly what type of role he can play in the center of the park going forward, with Bajcetic capable of operating as both a No.6 and No.8 in modern times. the language.

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“We put him in a new position,” Jurgen Klopp said of Bajcetic after a 2-0 win over Everton last February. “I don’t think he’s ever played in that position before. He came here as a kid as a central midfielder and has now played as a number 6 in a few games and tonight as a number 8 and a lot of times as a double six. It was a pretty good performance, to be honest.

Able to play further forward, run beyond the opposition’s midfield and provide attacking players, Bajcetic is indeed capable of functioning as a slightly more advanced and versatile midfielder, but it is at the base of the engine room where his future – both short as well as long. term – really lies.

After bursting onto the scene at the start of 2023, establishing himself as an important member of what was a struggling and confident squad at the time, Bajcetic has since endured a torrid 15 months or so.

Long-term injuries, said to owe much to growing problems, have significantly hampered progress for the £250,000 capture, but he showed enough before the initial setback at Bournemouth in March 2023 to be excited about the prospect of a -suitable summer program.

Bajcetic cut short his own summer schedule to get to work at the club’s AXA Training Center earlier this month to ensure he arrived at pre-season in ideal conditions to impress the new coaches at the club.

Liverpool’s search for a top defensive midfielder has been an open secret for over two years. From losing Aurelien Tchouameni to Real Madrid in 2022, to seeing first Moises Caicedo and then Romeo Lavia opt for Chelsea last summer, the Reds have long scoured the market for someone to anchor the midfield.

The decision to move on to 30-year-old Wataru Endo represented a significant break with tradition and a shift in strategy last August, but the plan to continue evaluating the market for a younger artist with a higher ceiling remains .

A certain amount of eyes might turn at that thought, but Bajcetic could still be the answer to that particular conundrum if he gets a chance to show it in the Slot. The main thing for the youngster to focus on at the moment is simply re-establishing himself in the eyes of the Liverpool manager. Or, as it is now, the head coach.

Bajcetic had Klopp’s implicit trust due to how quickly he developed during their time together with the former manager once reflecting on such progress saying: “There was a door – I’m not even sure it was open – but he went through it. and it was truly exceptional.”

The Spain youth international has made just three appearances since having his season cut short in that aforementioned visit to Bournemouth, but the evidence presented ahead of this issue ensures that excitement remains around the teenager.

Another midfielder who could also help ease the burden on a team without a world-class performer at ‘6’ is Ryan Gravenberch; a player whose skill set has seen him play there many times before.

Gravenberch’s athletic style was initially touted upon his arrival at Liverpool as having the potential to be developed into a defensive midfield role by Klopp and his staff, but there was little evidence of this during a mixed debut campaign on Merseyside.

Former Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel highlighted the lack of number 8s needed in his 4-2-3-1 system, which is why Gravenberch struggled for any significant playing time during one season in the Bundesliga, but the young Dutchman played as a screen in defense for almost half of his last campaign at Ajax. Of the 2331 minutes played in 2021/22, up to 40% came in the no. 6.

At 22, his age and tactical flexibility could see Slot attempt to resume a role that Gravenberch became relatively familiar with during his formative days, which was a period in which he established himself as one of the brightest teenage talents in the Eredivisie.