Bajcetic Approaches Celta Return as Liverpool Talks Intensify

Liverpool’s midfield overhaul is not done yet, and Stefan Bajcetic now sits at the heart of the next big decision.

Days after Curtis Jones sealed his move to Inter Milan in a deal that could reach £30 million, Spanish outlet Faro de Vigo report that Bajcetic is closing in on a return to Celta Vigo, the club where he grew up. This is no routine loan or low-key sale. The shape of the exit is what makes it so stark.

The 21-year-old, once earmarked as a long-term pillar of Liverpool’s midfield, is under contract at Anfield until 2027. Celta, though, are said to be pushing for something very different: a contract termination that would allow him to walk away from Liverpool and head back to Galicia without the burden of a traditional transfer fee.

A talent stalled by injuries and changing plans

Two years ago, Bajcetic looked like Liverpool’s next great internal solution. Calm on the ball, brave under pressure, smart in his positioning – he ticked every box for the modern holding midfielder. For a spell, it felt like Liverpool had unearthed their future No. 6 from within.

Then the brakes slammed on.

Injuries cut into his rhythm and stripped away momentum. Loan spells failed to relaunch his career in the way club and player had hoped. As Liverpool’s squad and tactical picture evolved, especially under new head coach Andoni Iraola, his route back into the senior side narrowed even further. He has not made a first-team appearance for more than two years.

Now the question is no longer how Liverpool build around him. It’s whether they cut ties completely.

Celta’s plan: rebuild in familiar territory

From Celta Vigo’s side, the logic is clear. They see a homegrown player with high technical upside whose career needs a reset. The plan, according to the report, is not to throw him straight into La Liga battles but to manage his return carefully.

Bajcetic would initially link up with Celta Fortuna, the club’s reserve side, using that environment to restore fitness, sharpness and confidence before stepping back towards the first team. It’s a softer landing, in a city and club he already knows.

The key detail is financial. Celta’s preference for a contract termination underlines that they are chasing opportunity, not a bidding war. That stance shifts the pressure back onto Liverpool and Bajcetic. Are the club prepared to write off a player they once viewed as a cornerstone, simply to draw a clean line under a story that never quite took off? Or do they insist on some form of fee and risk complicating his exit?

Sevilla and Getafe have also been linked during the window, but the emotional pull of Celta – and the developmental pathway on offer – gives the Galician club a powerful hand.

Liverpool’s midfield picture after Jones – and possibly Bajcetic

This is all happening against a backdrop of change at Anfield.

Jones has gone. Bajcetic may follow. Yet Liverpool are not scrambling in the market. Inside the club, there is confidence that Trey Nyoni and James McConnell can step into the gaps in the short term, at least in terms of squad depth and rotational minutes. That internal faith helps explain why no immediate replacement is being rushed through.

It also sharpens the debate. Liverpool risk shedding two technically gifted midfielders in the same window, trusting that the next wave will be ready when the season bites back. Supporters have seen how quickly depth can evaporate over nine brutal months. The margin for error is thin.

Celta’s coach treads carefully

Celta head coach Claudio Giráldez chose his words carefully when asked about Bajcetic, acknowledging the possibility without overstepping.

“If he's happy and we can reach an agreement, it would be a good situation, but I'm not thinking about that right now,” he said. “He's a homegrown player; I don't talk about players we don't have. If I talk about any of them, it's those who have been here before because we understand that we always have a stronger connection, and on top of that, we have a very good relationship. I coached him. If it happens, great, but I don't talk about players we don't have.”

The message is controlled, but the subtext is obvious: the door is open, and the relationship is already there.

A promising Anfield story nearing its final line

This does not feel like the start of a negotiation. It feels like the endgame.

For Bajcetic, Celta Vigo offers a realistic route back to regular football and a chance to piece together a career that injuries have repeatedly fractured. For Liverpool, it increasingly resembles the closing chapter of a tale that promised so much but never fully escaped its early promise.

Among supporters, the reaction is laced with disappointment. Bajcetic was one of the few young players who genuinely looked ready to anchor Liverpool’s midfield for years. He gave the team energy and composure at a time when both were in short supply. To see that potential fade into a contract termination and a reserve-team restart in Spain is a harsh outcome for everyone involved.

If he does leave, most fans will send him off with goodwill and a lingering sense of regret. The real test now sits with Liverpool’s hierarchy: as they clear out space in midfield, are they executing a bold, coherent plan – or stripping away too much craft in the hope that the next generation can carry the weight?