Stefan Bajcetic and Liverpool Face Defining Summer Amid Middlesbrough Interest
Bajcetic future comes into focus
Stefan Bajcetic’s Liverpool story has always carried the feel of something interrupted rather than concluded. According to information credited to Leicester Mercury, Middlesbrough have now identified the 21-year-old as a potential midfield target as they prepare for Hayden Hackney’s expected move to Everton.
For Liverpool, this is more than a simple loan decision. It is a question of timing, trust and whether one of the club’s most technically gifted young midfielders can still find a route back into the Anfield picture under Andoni Iraola.
Bajcetic remains under contract until 2027, but after two difficult years shaped by injuries, loan spells and setbacks, this summer feels significant. Liverpool must decide whether he needs another temporary platform, whether there is still a pathway at Anfield, or whether a permanent move could become part of a wider squad reshaping.
Middlesbrough link offers logical pathway
Middlesbrough’s interest makes sense. Hackney, valued in a deal that could eventually reach £25 million, would leave a sizeable gap in midfield if his Everton switch is completed. Boro had looked at Leicester City’s Oliver Skipp, but Leicester Mercury report that Leicester’s £15m valuation has made that route more difficult.
That has pushed Middlesbrough towards alternatives, with Bajcetic now reportedly on their shortlist alongside Everton youngster Harrison Armstrong.
For Bajcetic, the Championship could provide something Liverpool cannot currently guarantee, rhythm. Regular football. Pressure. Physical tests. The weekly grind of games that matter.
He is not a direct Hackney clone, but he has a profile that could thrive in a team expecting to control possession. Bajcetic is calm on the ball, sharp in tight spaces and intelligent enough to dictate tempo when fully fit.
Liverpool cannot forget his ceiling
It is worth remembering what Liverpool once saw. Bajcetic did not stumble into Jurgen Klopp’s side by accident. He earned trust during a difficult 2022/23 season, often looking more composed than senior players around him.
His serious adductor injury in March 2023 changed the rhythm of his rise. Loan spells at RB Salzburg and Las Palmas were designed to rebuild momentum, but further fitness problems limited his progress. He later underwent hamstring surgery, then suffered more setbacks, missing the entirety of last season.
His recent Instagram post from the AXA Training Centre, captioned “Back on track”, will have offered encouragement. Liverpool will hope that phrase carries real weight.
Pre-season could decide next step
Liverpool’s first task is assessment. Iraola and the club’s performance staff need to see where Bajcetic stands physically before any decision is made.
A Middlesbrough loan could be attractive if Liverpool believe the player needs 35-plus senior appearances before being judged again. A permanent sale would feel more delicate, because his value has been depressed by injury rather than ability.
That makes this a classic Liverpool crossroads. Sell too early, and risk watching a gifted midfielder rebuild elsewhere. Hold too long, and risk another season of stalled development.
For Bajcetic, the answer may be simpler. He needs football. Not cameos. Not rehabilitation minutes. Football with consequence.
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From a Liverpool supporter’s perspective, this feels like one of those decisions that could look very different in 12 months.
Bajcetic still has the kind of talent that makes you pause before accepting any talk of a clean break. He was not hype. He looked genuinely ready when he first came through, calm beyond his years and brave enough to take the ball when Liverpool were struggling badly.
That matters.
At the same time, sentiment cannot guide squad planning. Liverpool’s midfield has moved on, Iraola will want intensity, reliability and availability, and Bajcetic has barely been able to build rhythm for two years. That is not his fault, but it is the reality.
A loan to Middlesbrough could be the ideal compromise. It gives him a proper footballing test, gives Liverpool evidence, and keeps the door open. If he plays regularly and stays fit, the conversation changes quickly. If not, Liverpool will know they need to be pragmatic.
The key is avoiding a cheap permanent sale. Bajcetic’s ceiling remains too interesting for that. Unless Middlesbrough or another club make an offer Liverpool simply cannot ignore, a well-managed Championship loan feels like the sensible route.
Sometimes development is not linear. With Bajcetic, Liverpool should still give the story one more chapter.
