Stefan Bajcetic has been rewarded for his breakthrough season with a new Liverpool contract until 2027, just five months after signing his previous deal.
In a season where the deficiencies of Liverpool’s midfield have been in the spotlight, 18-year-old Bajcetic has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with the first team.
The Spaniard was included in the club’s pre-season tour of Asia and hasn’t looked back since. He signed improved terms in August, became the Reds’ youngest-ever Champions League player in September, and scored his first goal for Jurgen Klopp‘s side in December.
And having made several starts in recent weeks, including his full Premier League debut against Chelsea, Bajcetic has now been handed a new long-term deal.
Having initially arrived at Liverpool from Celta Vigo in a £220,000 deal in 2020, Bajcetic made his way through the academy ranks, and spent the majority of last season playing for the under-18s.
But with the Reds struggling for any kind of cohesion in midfield, and having impressed under the watchful eye of Klopp and his coaching staff last summer, Bajcetic has regularly trained with the first team in 2022/23.
“It’s crazy,” he told Liverpoolfc.com after signing his new deal.
“A year ago I was playing U18s football and now I’ve started some games, made my debut and even scored a goal – that was something I never expected to happen this year.
“It’s amazing to see how fast it went. But I keep working hard and hopefully [there are] more things to come.”
The structure of his new contract is almost certain to include a number of performance-based incentives, with the 18-year-old likely to receive terms more in line with his current role in Liverpool’s squad.
The news of another deal for Bajcetic, only five months after he last put pen to paper, suggests that there are significant hopes for him moving forward.
Tyler Morton, the 20-year-old currently on loan at Blackburn, also recently extended his terms with Liverpool, and the pair are likely to take up first-team roles under Klopp in the seasons to come.
There have also been reports that Bajcetic is set to be fast-tracked into Spain’s U21 set up, with a view to him featuring at this summer’s European U21 Championships.
Fan Comments