Liverpool's Winger Rebuild: Midfield Concerns Loom
Liverpool’s winger rebuild is racing ahead. The midfield, though, is quietly being stripped back.
With Curtis Jones edging towards Inter Milan and Stefan Bajcetic now in talks over a return to Spain, Andoni Iraola is staring at the prospect of going into a gruelling season with a central unit that looks alarmingly light.
Wide reinforcements flood in
Liverpool’s recruitment drive has been trained on the flanks. The club are pushing to land both Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye from PSG, deals that would follow the capture of Victor Munoz and complete a full-scale refresh of the winger department.
At the back, the picture is similar. Jeremy Jacquet has already turned heads, impressing in the final pre-season friendly against Como, while Ronald Araujo has arrived on loan to add presence and pedigree to the defence.
The spine, though, tells a different story.
Bajcetic talks open as Spain calls
On Monday, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Getafe have opened talks with Liverpool over 21-year-old Stefan Bajcetic. The “formula” of the deal is still being discussed, with no clarity yet on whether the move would be a loan or a permanent transfer.
What is clear is that Bajcetic is ready to go home if Liverpool decide to cash in. Matteo Moretto reported last month that the midfielder is keen on a return to Spain and is on the radar of multiple LaLiga clubs, including Rayo Vallecano and Getafe.
Crucially, Iraola is understood to be a big admirer and had wanted to assess Bajcetic in pre-season before any decision was made. The plan was simple: if he stayed, he would sign a new deal; if not, he would seek a move back to Spain.
Time complicates that equation. Bajcetic’s current contract runs out next summer. Any loan would require an extension first to protect his value. Otherwise, Liverpool are effectively pushed towards a straight sale if Getafe firm up their interest.
Jones edging towards San Siro
While Bajcetic weighs up a return to LaLiga, Curtis Jones is pushing hard for a fresh start in Serie A.
The Liverpool academy graduate is “desperate” to leave his boyhood club and join Inter Milan, and two key obstacles to the move were removed over the weekend.
Liverpool have lowered their asking price from £34m to £30m, bringing it closer to Inter’s reach after the Italian champions previously tabled a £26m bid. Inter, for their part, are now preparing an improved offer.
They could only do that once Davide Frattesi was moved on. That domino has fallen: Frattesi has joined Lazio on loan with an option to buy, freeing Inter to go after Jones with more intent and financial room.
The path is suddenly clear. If Inter meet Liverpool’s revised valuation, Jones’ long association with Anfield is likely to end.
Iraola’s midfield left exposed
Strip away the noise of incoming wingers and defensive tweaks, and the numbers in central midfield are stark.
If both Jones and Bajcetic depart, Iraola will be left with just five recognised midfielders: Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Trey Nyoni.
For a club aiming to compete seriously on four fronts, that is a razor-thin margin for error. One injury crisis, one heavy run of fixtures, and the middle of the pitch starts to creak.
Liverpool are reshaping the squad with ambition and aggression out wide and at the back. The question now is simple: can they really afford to let two midfielders walk out the door without replacing them – and still claim to be ready for a season that demands depth as much as quality?
