Such was the sudden rise of Stefan Bajcetic at Liverpool last year that the teenager was still being listed as an Academy defender
Bajcetic was noted for his versatility upon his arrival as a 16-year-old in late 2020 from Celta ViFrame Included Buy here
There will be a conversation with new head coach Arne Slot about just what type of role he can perform in the centre of the park going forward
Bajcetic is capable of operating as both a No.6 and a No.8, in modern parlance.
Klopp said of bajcetic after a 2-0 win over Everton in February last year:
"We put him in a new position,"
“I don’t think he’d ever played in the position before.
He came here as a kid as a centre-half and played now as a No.6 in a few games and tonight as a No.8 and a lot of moments as a double six. He did extremely well. It was quite a good performance, to be honest.
Bajcetic is indeed able to operate as a slightly more advanced and multi-functional midfielder but it is at the base of the engine room where his future truly lies
Having burst on to the scene in early 2023, establishing himself as an important member of what was a struggling and confidence-shot squad at the time
Bajcetic has since endured a torrid 15 months or so of his own
Long-term injuries that are said to owe a lot to growing problems have significantly stunted his progress
Bajcetic cut short his own summer schedule to get to work at the club's AXA Training Centre earlier this month in an effort to ensure he arrived at pre-season in ideal condition
Liverpool's search for a top-class defensive midfielder has been an open secret for over two years.
From losing out on Aurelien Tchouameni in 2022 to Real Madrid to seeing first Moises Caicedo and then Romeo Lavia opt for Chelsea instead last summer
The plan to continue assessing the market for a younger performer with a higher ceiling remains
A certain amount of eyes may roll at the thought but Bajcetic may yet be the answer
The main thing the youngster has to focus on currently however is simply reestablishing himself in the eyes of the Liverpool manager
Another midfielder who could also help ease the burden on a squad without a world-class performer at '6' is Ryan Gravenberch;
the Dutch youngster played as a screen for the defence for nearly half of his final campaign at Ajax.
At 22, his age and tactically flexibility could see Slot try to reprise a role Gravenberch became relatively familiar with
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