Stefan Bajcetic’s next move now hinges on a blunt bit of contract reality: if he wants to return to Celta Vigo, he must first terminate his Liverpool deal. For a player who joined Liverpool from the Celta academy in 2020 and is still only 21, that is a significant step. It also tells you how determined Celta are to make the move work, because the condition would allow them to sign him on a free transfer.
The timing matters, too. Bajcetic has spent over two years without a Liverpool first-team appearance after a spell marked by major injury problems, and he has also had loan time away at Red Bull Salzburg and Las Palmas. His contract at Liverpool runs until June 2027, so an early exit would mean walking away from a deal with real value. But from Celta’s point of view, the attraction is obvious: they would be taking back a homegrown player they know well, while trying to restore his fitness and get him back into regular football.
Why this move makes sense
This is not a simple case of sentiment. It is a transfer shaped by need on both sides. Liverpool’s summer plan still includes offloading unwanted players, and Bajcetic is now part of that conversation. Earlier this summer, Liverpool also waved goodbye to Curtis Jones in a £30million transfer to Inter Milan, another reminder that departures are very much part of the club’s business this window.
For Celta Vigo, the appeal is that Bajcetic comes without a fee if the contract can be ended. Reports this week said they want that early termination, and Claudio Giráldez has not completely shut the door on the idea. He has said that if the player is happy and an agreement can be reached, it would be a good situation, while also making clear that he does not want to talk about players Celta do not yet have. He also noted his connection to the player, saying he coached him.
That is the key tension here. Celta clearly value familiarity and the possibility of rebuilding a player they already know. Liverpool, meanwhile, appear willing to let the window play out before making final decisions. Andoni Iraola said some deals have to wait until the end, adding that September 1 is the important picture because teams are still quite thin. That is a useful reminder that this kind of move often depends less on a single headline than on how the final days of the market unfold.
What remains unresolved is whether Bajcetic is ready to give up the security of his Liverpool contract to get the move he wants. If he does, Celta get a low-risk signing with upside. If he does not, the story becomes more complicated, because a return that looked natural on paper would be blocked by the contract itself. For now, the situation is clear enough: to go home, Bajcetic first has to leave Liverpool behind.
