Earlier this week, it was reported in several prominent European newspapers that Salzburg were in talks to sign Bajcetic, a 19-year-old midfielder who had previously worked with Pep Lijnder while the Dutch coach was an assistant to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
On the other hand, journalist Fabrizio Romano said out of the blue last night (Vietnam time) that Barça had entered the race to steal Salzburg. The 2005-born midfielder was a target for Blaugrana as a possible long-term replacement for Marc Bernal, who suffered a damaged anterior cruciate ligament.
Due to financial constraints, the Camp Nou team was unable to pay the amount that The Kop sought, even though they had an advantage against Salzburg because Bajcetic’s father wanted him to join a large club.
After Barça’s withdrawal, Salzburg and the Reds came to an arrangement to sign the Spanish star for a loan fee, according to a recent report in The Athletic.
Before formally signing a one-year loan contract, Bajcetic will travel to Austria today for a physical.
Bajcetic will be reunited with Bobby Clark, a former colleague of his at Liverpool, at the Red Bull Arena squad. Clark just signed a permanent deal with Salzburg for £10 million.
After playing for Celta Vigo’s youth squad, Bajcetic joined Liverpool in 2020 and has since made 22 appearances for the club based in the port city. The 19-year-old did not play for the majority of previous season due to a severe injury.