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Outside of Liverpool circles, the name Stefan Bajcetic might be met with a "who's that?" from all but the most dedicated followers of the Premier League. But for fans of the Reds, his name evokes a strong reaction.
Many still remember his remarkable emergence as a teenager under Jurgen Klopp in the depths of the 2022/23 injury crisis, when Mohamed Salah rightly noted that the young Spaniard was the team's best player for a period of months. Back then, most would have assumed that he would be a regular fixture in the team by now.
But things have not worked out that way. Following various twists and turns, some kind of transfer for Bajcetic looked like being the best move for everyone in January, but now even that looks like it will come to nothing.
The midfielder's injury woes began in his breakthrough year. Liverpool had precious little choice, but perhaps in hindsight it was too great a workload for a player still growing into his body, and adductor issues ended his campaign prematurely.
Since then, it has been a succession of injury problems. Bajcetic lost more than half of another year to growing pains.
But last season, he appeared to have finally got back on track. Loans to Red Bull Salzburg and then Las Palmas were fruitful, and the bulked-up Bajcetic looked more than capable of holding his own in the rigors of the senior game.
His stint in La Liga was particularly eye-catching, and he established himself as a regular starter. Over the summer, Liverpool fielded interest from three other Spanish teams including European hopefuls Real Betis.
Perhaps that was never likely to materialize, however, because Liverpool sent Bajcetic to a specialist surgeon in May for a hamstring issue. Since then, it has been a long and careful road back.
Even so, Bajcetic had been expecting to be in contention again before Christmas. Instead, a further setback involving his hamstring is likely to rule out a move in January, per The Athletic.
Any move would likely still have been another loan, with Liverpool so far reluctant to seriously countenance permanent offers for a player who looked to have such a bright future. But a temporary switch would certainly have been beneficial for all parties, with the prospect of Bajcetic recovering to win a place in Arne Slot's first team before the end of the campaign looking very slim.
There is a cruel irony in that, because Bajcetic possesses the exact profile Liverpool has been lacking. While not exactly a Fabinho type, he certainly offers some much-needed bite in the center of the park, while still being very tidy with the ball — but without a basis of regular game time, it's hard to imagine him being thrown in.
That only really leaves under-21s football between now and the summer. And even with all his setbacks, Bajcetic proved in Spain that he has graduated well beyond that level.
Come June, Liverpool will have to decide if its stance on selling the midfielder has softened. Still only 21, time undoubtedly remains on his side, but Slot has not even been able to afford many minutes to the younger and similarly-promising Trey Nyoni in the same position.
But the odd outing with Liverpool's youth sides will not do anything for Bajcetic's value between now and the summer, and you get the sense that any sale would be brutally cut-price for a player of such high promise. Missing out on half a season in the shop window, to catch the eye of either Slot or suitors, is a bitter blow for all involved.
Nevertheless, all is not lost. Bajcetic can take heart from the fact that Liverpool has still not decided whether or not it is prepared to sell in the summer, which indicates exactly how keen the club is to try and find a route for him at Anfield.
And with uncertainty continuing to surround Liverpool's form, a fresh start in the not-too-distant future is not completely out of the question. Slot's job remains safe for the time being, but failure to improve before the end of the campaign will surely prompt a review in the close season.
Nobody will be hoping for that particular outcome. But whether it's under Slot or somebody else, all Bajcetic can do is continue working to keep fit and then make an impression; regardless of whether his future is at Liverpool or elsewhere, he has many advocates in the club who still believe he has what it takes to go far.
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