Stefan Bajcetic is set to stay with Salzburg for the season before rejoining Arne Slot‘s squad, but there are staff at Liverpool concerned over his playing style.
Bajcetic was reportedly being considered for a mid-season switch to Real Betis, but The Athletic‘s James Pearce has now quashed speculation over a recall.
Instead the midfielder will spend the entire campaign in Austria with Salzburg, which could take him through the summer’s Club World Cup, before returning to the first-team setup at Liverpool.
However, elsewhere within The Athletic’s update on Bajcetic’s situation is a potentially worrying note on how he is viewed within the club.
“The midfielder is viewed by some at the club as more of a player suited to a Klopp team than one managed by new head coach Arne Slot at present, meaning further development was necessary,” it is explained.
While he certainly needed game time, it is questionable how Bajcetic could develop into a Slot-type player by spending more time away from his squad.
And while there may have been more of an understanding of Pepijn Lijnders‘ tactical blueprint, influencing the decision to send him to Salzburg, the Dutchman has since been sacked and replaced by Thomas Letsch.
It is naturally unclear who the “some at the club” refers to, but it suggests there is no consensus at this stage over Bajcetic’s long-term future.
The hope will be that he can fit into Slot’s plans moving forward, but a surprising lack of game time so far at Salzburg won’t aid his cause.
However, The Athletic’s report adds: “Liverpool have been in regular contact with the player and his loan club and see his spell there as very positive so far.
“His passing data in particular has stood out to his parent club.”
Per FotMob, Bajcetic is averaging 41.6 accurate passes per 90 in the Austrian Bundesliga, which is a similar level to Alexis Mac Allister (45.8) and Dominik Szoboszlai (42.9) in this season’s Premier League.
His passing accuracy, at 81.8 percent, is lower than all four of Liverpool’s regular starting midfielders and in particular Curtis Jones (94.6%).
However, while his sample size is considerably smaller, Bajcetic is certainly comfortable in possession, with 70.9 touches per 90 compared to Szoboszlai’s 64.8, Jones’ 71.2, Mac Allister’s 68.9 and Ryan Gravenberch‘s 72.4.
It would seem Bajcetic’s role at Liverpool is up in the air, and despite the insistence that his loan has been positive, the assertion that he may be “more of a player suited to a Klopp team” could prove telling.
