Talks in ‘final stages’ – Sky Sports reporter all but confirms player’s exit from Liverpool

One Liverpool midfielder is set to leave the club permanently in the final 48 hours of the summer transfer window.

Stefan Bajcetic has been linked with a return to LaLiga in recent weeks, with Getafe having reportedly been in talks earlier this month before his former club Celta Vigo pounced to agree personal terms over the past few days.

The 21-year-old hasn’t played for the Reds since May 2024 and didn’t get on the pitch at all last season, with persistent injury problems having put his career on hold after his hugely promising breakthrough under Jurgen Klopp.

Bajcetic close to permanent Liverpool exit

On Sunday evening, Vinny O’Connor reported for Sky Sports that the midfielder is close to leaving Liverpool permanently for Celta Vigo, with the Reds likely to retain a sell-on clause.

Negotiations are ‘in the final stages’ over a deal for the Spaniard to return to the club where he began his youth career, and the transfer is expected to go through before the 11pm deadline on Tuesday night.

(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

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A shame for Liverpool that injuries impeded Bajcetic’s progress

Bajcetic appeared to have the world at his feet when he broke into the Liverpool line-up midway through the 2022/23 season, turning in an outstanding performance in a Merseyside derby win at Anfield and even starting against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Sadly, injury problems restricted him to only six appearances in the following campaign, and subsequent loan moves to Red Bull Salzburg and Las Palmas brought further frustration.

If fit and in form, he may well have been the perfect solution to the Reds’ current defensive midfield dilemma, but he missed out on pre-season under Andoni Iraola and realistically was going to find it hard to forge his way into the head coach’s plans after being sidelined for so long.

Bajcetic will now hope to resurrect his career back in the familiar surroundings of his hometown Vigo, and it’s a crying shame that injuries impeded the progress of a young player who had such an enormous ceiling.

For Liverpool, it’s a tale of what might’ve been, but we wish the 21-year-old every success upon his imminent return to Celta and hope that he soon has much better luck than he’s endured over the past couple of years.