Arne Slot has explained why Stefan Bajcetic’s loan move is a “smart decision”

With Stefan Bajcetic joining Red Bull Salzburg on loan for the coming season, head coach Arne Slot has reiterated the midfielder could still “become a very important player” for Liverpool.

It is perhaps surprising that Liverpool should send one of their brightest young talents out on loan, but Slot has reassured supporters that the move isn’t a condemnation of Bajcetic’s Reds career.

Instead, the boss has explained how a year playing for Pep Lijnders’ Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga could benefit his long-term future at Liverpool.

“I hope it will be a big year for him because he’s a very talented player and I think he could become a very important player for us, but only if he gets playing time now,” Slot told reporters including Paul Joyce.

“If you are that young and you’ve been out for so long, the only thing you need is playing time.

Here, Slot was referring to the fact that Bajcetic played just 234 minutes of Football across the youth and first teams last season, due to multiple injuries but most notably a calf problem.

The boss continued: “He could have playing time over here, but we’ve got six or seven very good midfielders so his playing time here will always be more limited than we expect him to play at Salzburg.

“So for him and us, we think it’s best for him to play at the moment, instead of maybe playing a few times and then being on the bench for a long time again.

“It’s very difficult to keep a player fit who’s been out for 15 months when you only play him once in a while, so this is for the long term.

“Again, this club has been smart, in my opinion, for not only looking for the short term but also the long term.

“It’s a smart decision, at least in our opinion, to let him go somewhere where he will hopefully play a lot of Games.

“Then for next season, we’ll have a player. If he fulfils his potential, [he] could definitely, definitely play for us in the future.”

While fans of course love to see Liverpool make shiny new signings, supporters arguably take more pride in seeing the club’s academy graduates become integral to a successful first team.

Bajcetic has the potential to be just a brilliant player for Liverpool, and this loan move is what the Reds have decided is his best next step to reach that destination.