Bajcetic Set for Celta Vigo Return as Liverpool Midfield Changes

Liverpool’s midfield shake-up is not finished yet. With Curtis Jones already out the door to Inter Milan in a deal that could hit £30 million, the next big decision appears to concern Stefan Bajcetic – and the road is pointing back to Galicia.

Reports in Spain, notably from Faro de Vigo, say a move to Celta Vigo is advancing, and this is no routine loan or fringe transfer. The 21-year-old, once seen as one of the brightest technical talents at Anfield, is now at the centre of discussions that could end his Liverpool contract altogether.

From breakthrough hope to crossroads

Two years ago, Bajcetic looked like the future. Calm on the ball, aggressive without it, and tactically sharp, he carried the profile of a modern holding midfielder who might anchor Liverpool’s next era.

Then the brakes went on.

Injuries bit hard, stalling his progress at the exact moment he needed rhythm and games. Loan spells followed but never really caught fire, and while he was trying to restart his career, the picture at Liverpool shifted again under Andoni Iraola. The route back into the senior side narrowed, and the promise of 2022 began to feel distant.

Now, with Bajcetic still under contract until 2027, the key issue is not interest, but mechanics.

Celta push for clean slate, not big fee

Celta Vigo’s stance is clear. They want Bajcetic back in the environment where he grew up, to rebuild his continuity and fitness in familiar surroundings. The club are exploring a solution that would see his Liverpool deal terminated early rather than paying a standard transfer fee.

That detail matters. It underlines Celta’s focus on opportunity over expenditure and shifts the responsibility onto Liverpool and the player to agree a clean exit. For Liverpool, the question is stark: is it more practical to cut ties now than to carry a midfielder who has not played a senior game in more than two years?

Sevilla and Getafe have also been linked this window, but Celta’s pull is different. Emotional, developmental, and personal.

The plan is not to throw him straight into La Liga either. The expectation, according to the report, is that Bajcetic would initially join Celta Fortuna, easing him back through the club’s reserve setup before pushing towards the first team again.

Liverpool thin out the midfield – by choice

All of this plays into a wider shift at Anfield. Jones has gone. Bajcetic may follow. Yet there is no panic over immediate replacements.

Inside the club, the belief is that Trey Nyoni and James McConnell can cover minutes in the short term, allowing Liverpool to resist a rushed signing. If Bajcetic leaves as well, it will underline a clear strategy: streamline the midfield group rather than stockpile options for the sake of depth.

It is a bold stance in a season where injuries and fixture congestion can shred even the best-laid plans.

Celta coach speaks, carefully

Celta head coach Claudio Giráldez did not hide his admiration, but he chose his words with care when asked about Bajcetic.

“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 then framed the connection in more personal terms.

“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 clear enough: Celta want him, they know him, and they trust that if the door opens, he will walk into a club that already understands him.

A promising story running out of road

This no longer feels like the start of a negotiation. It feels like the final stretch.

For Bajcetic, Celta Vigo offers something priceless: a realistic route back into competitive rhythm, away from the pressure of forcing his way into a crowded Liverpool midfield. For Liverpool, it increasingly resembles the end of a story that never quite recovered from its early disruption.

From a supporter’s angle, the frustration is obvious. Bajcetic was one of the few academy players who genuinely looked capable of becoming a long-term first-team pillar. At one point, it seemed Liverpool had solved a major midfield problem from within.

Instead, injuries wrecked his momentum. Loans failed to reset his trajectory. Now, the prospect is of a contract termination and a return to Spain via a reserve side, rather than a farewell befitting his early promise.

There is a wider tension too. Liverpool have already lost Curtis Jones and may now lose Bajcetic, while trusting that Nyoni, McConnell and others can absorb the gap. It might work. But if the season bites hard, questions will be asked about whether too many technically gifted midfielders were allowed to leave without a fully formed long-term plan.

If Bajcetic does go, most Liverpool fans will not turn on him. They will wish him well and remember the spark he brought when the team badly needed fresh legs and ideas.

The real test will come later: if he rebuilds himself in Vigo and thrives, what will that say about the choices being made at Anfield now?