Liverpool already has a long-term replacement for Fabinho who might solve other transfer issues.

With Fabinho and Jordan Henderson about to depart for Saudi Arabia, Stefan Bajcetic will soon be Liverpool’s sole natural holding midfielder

Things can, of course, change quickly. The Reds have had one bid for Romeo Lavia rejected by Southampton, while Trent Alexander-Arnold has been playing as Jurgen Klopp’s number six in preseason so far. However, with two weeks till the start of the new season, Liverpool is still in a far from perfect position.

Despite his recent performances as an out-and-out midfielder, Alexander-Arnold will almost certainly revert to his inverted right-back role, which is the foundation of Klopp’s new 3-2-2-3 structure, once the summer transfer window closes.

If Bajcetic were fit and available for duty, perhaps the England international would already be lined up in his more usual role. Unfortunately, the 18-year-old was left out of the 27-man squad that traveled to Singapore earlier this week as he recovers from the adductor injury that interrupted his breakout season prematurely.

If they are successful in signing Lavia, it remains to be seen whether Liverpool intend to sign another midfielder after already signing Alexis MacAllister and Dominik Szoboszlai. However, with the club also looking for a new centre-back, it is expected that their summer business will not be completed.

In reality, they were focused on finding a new defender before being taken off guard by Saudi Arabian interest in Henderson and Fabinho. As a result, shifting their focus back to their midfield, they increased their interest in Lavia after being put off by Southampton’s £50 million asking price.

The Belgian had already been identified as a potential long-term replacement for their outgoing Brazilian, though you would expect Liverpool to have planned to use both players this season, if feasible, before Fabinho’s interest revealed.

However, if the Reds are successful in signing Lavia, it raises two problems. First and foremost, will he be first-choice at number six this season, or will Liverpool bring in a second new midfielder?

Second, what does the arrival of the 19-year-old imply for Bajcetic – a player only 10 months his junior – and his own starting possibilities in the short and long term?

Last season, he made 19 appearances for the Reds, primarily as a number six and a number eight in midfield, depending on whether Fabinho was selected beside him. However, such appearances were made in Liverpool’s original 4-3-3 formation, with the conversion to 3-2-2-3 occurring only after Bajcetic’s season was cut short due to injury.

With the additions of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai to play those offensive roles, as well as Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones, and Harvey Elliott, it would be surprising to see Bajcetic line up further forward in the next season. As a result, the number six position for which Lavia will be recruited appears to be the ideal fit, with the young Spaniard being touted as a long-term successor for Fabinho.

“For the very young ones, Stefan [Bajcetic] is the standout player,” confessed Klopp. “He was outstanding. He played like a man, but in a child’s physique, and the intensity caught up with him.”

With Bajcetic still not back in team training, though he is expected to return when Klopp’s players return from Singapore, he is catching up with his teammates. And, when he becomes available again, you’d expect him to compete for starting spots with Lavia, given the two are still teens and will be in direct rivalry for the foreseeable future.

A transfer cost of £40m-£50m would appear to offer the Belgium international an additional nod. However, if Liverpool decides to sign a more experienced defender midfielder, it will be a further setback for Bajcetic’s starting chances, even if the presence of such a player is still felt vital in Klopp’s squad after the departures of Henderson and Fabinho.

But, given Bajcetic’s adaptability, could he find work elsewhere? While it would be surprising to see him used as an offensive midfielder, it is worth noting that he was a centre-back when he was purchased from Celta in December 2020.

And it was in that defensive position that he began his first year on Merseyside at the Liverpool Academy, before being changed into a holding midfielder in the second part of the 2021/22 season ahead of his first-team promotion.

“It’s been difficult at times, especially in the beginning,” Bajcetic revealed to reporters after making his maiden Premier League start against Chelsea last January. “Obviously, as a center-back, you see the entire field, but as a midfielder, you have people in behind you.”