Getafe Initiates Talks for Liverpool's Bajcetic Amid Injury Struggles
Getafe have opened talks with Liverpool over a deal for Stefan Bajcetic as the midfielder’s stalled Anfield career reaches a decisive fortnight, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The 21-year-old, once one of the brightest sparks of Liverpool’s post-World Cup rebuild, is now at a crossroads. Two years ago he was the surprise teenager who barged his way into the first team and lit up a Merseyside derby. Now, after a brutal run of injuries, he is fighting simply to play regular football again.
From derby darling to injury doubt
Bajcetic’s rise felt rapid and real. In the weeks after the 2022 World Cup, he stepped into Liverpool’s midfield and immediately looked like he belonged. His standout display in a derby win in early 2023 hinted at a long-term role in the club’s engine room, a refreshing injection of energy and composure at a time when the side badly needed it.
Then the momentum vanished.
Persistent fitness problems have wrecked his progress. He has not played a competitive minute since the tail end of the 2024/25 season, a brutal pause just as his career seemed ready to accelerate.
The Spaniard has finally returned to full training and travelled with Andoni Iraola’s squad on their pre-season tour of the United States. That should have been his platform to remind everyone what he can do. Instead, he did not feature in any of Liverpool’s pre-season games, watching others seize the opportunities he had once taken so well.
Getafe move to test Liverpool’s resolve
On Monday morning, Romano reported on X that Getafe have “opened talks to sign” Bajcetic, with a “formula being discussed” for a move back to Spain. The structure of the deal remains unclear. There is no confirmation yet whether the LaLiga club want a loan or a permanent transfer, and no details on the size or shape of any offer.
What is clear is that Getafe see an opening. Liverpool, for the first time since his breakthrough, might be willing to listen.
Inside Iraola’s squad, the landscape has shifted. While Bajcetic has been stuck on the sidelines, Trey Nyoni has surged forward with an eye-catching pre-season, jumping ahead of older teammates in the midfield hierarchy. The contrast is stark: one young midfielder thriving in the spotlight, the other reduced to a spectator.
That dynamic has pushed Bajcetic down the pecking order. Even the potential sale of Curtis Jones to Inter Milan is not expected to automatically restore his status under Iraola. The competition is fierce, and Liverpool’s midfield is no longer the thin, patched-up unit it was when he first emerged.
A decision that could define his career
From Liverpool’s perspective, the situation is delicate. Without knowing whether Getafe are proposing a temporary escape or a clean break, it is impossible to fully weigh up the risk. A loan might offer the ideal compromise: minutes in LaLiga, a familiar culture, and the chance to return to Anfield sharper and battle-tested. A permanent deal would be a far bigger call, cutting ties with a player who once looked like part of the club’s future.
For Bajcetic, the calculation feels more personal and more urgent.
He has endured “injury hell”, months of rehab and frustration while his peers build their careers. Training again with the first team will have felt like a small victory, but the lack of game time in pre-season sends a loud message about where he currently stands.
Getafe can offer something Liverpool, right now, cannot guarantee: the realistic prospect of regular minutes. For a 21-year-old whose development has been on hold, that carries enormous weight.
If the Spanish club can convince him that he will play, really play, the temptation to go home and restart his career in LaLiga will be strong. The next two weeks will tell us how much Liverpool still believe in the midfielder who once looked like their next great academy success – and how long Bajcetic is willing to wait for another chance at Anfield.
