Liverpool have reportedly made their second transfer reversal within 24 hours of their UEFA Champions League defeat to PSV Eindhoven.
On Wednesday night, Arne Slot gave opportunities to fringe players and young talents as Liverpool faced PSV in Europe’s top club competition. Despite a 3-2 loss, the Reds secured first place in their Champions League group thanks to Barcelona’s 2-2 draw with Atalanta.
Following the defeat, it emerged that Liverpool have decided to keep young midfielder James McConnell at the club after impressing Slot. The 20-year-old was initially expected to go out on loan for the remainder of the season, but Slot has now confirmed he will stay and could receive more first-team chances.
Additionally, on Thursday morning, reports indicated that Liverpool are set to terminate Stefan Bajcetic’s loan deal with Red Bull Salzburg, allowing him to move to La Liga side Las Palmas for the rest of the campaign.
Bajcetic, 20, had joined Salzburg in the summer, reuniting with Jurgen Klopp’s former assistant Pepijn Lijnders. However, after Lijnders was sacked following a poor run of results, Bajcetic struggled for game time and became unsettled.
Although Liverpool were initially content with his loan spell in Austria, they have now agreed with Salzburg to end the deal. The Spanish midfielder had offers from both Las Palmas and Porto but ultimately chose to join the La Liga club. Getafe also expressed interest, and the move is expected to be completed by the weekend.
Reports from Austria suggested that some Salzburg players were surprised by Bajcetic’s role in the team, with local newspaper Krone claiming they were “astonished” at the manager’s decision to consistently start Bajcetic alongside Bobby Clark in midfield.