Liverpool wanted to sign a young holding midfielder this summer, but, ultimately, they missed out on two of their top targets.
Indeed, both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia ended up at Chelsea, and while the Reds managed to sign Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich, the Dutchman isn’t necessarily a great fit for that number six role.
While it’s easy to be disappointed about missing out on a player like Lavia, Liverpool fans mustn’t forget that the Reds have their very own defensive midfield prospect coming through right now.
Indeed, Stefan Bajcetic had a breakout season at Anfield last season, and he looked absolutely incredible as he first broke into the side.
Bajcetic may only have played a handful of games for Liverpool last season, but according to CIES, the young Spaniard is already worth as much as Lavia.
CIES have used data and analysis to compile a comprehensive list of player valuations, and according to their numbers, both Bajcetic and Lavia are worth the same amount around the €20m (£15m) mark.
Of course, these numbers aren’t quite accurate as we’ve just seen Lavia moving for close to £60m, an we can’t imagine that Liverpool would be in a rush to sell Bajcetic if they were to receive a £15m bid.
However, these numbers do come from somewhere, and while they may not be the most accurate, the fact that Lavia and Bajcetic are valued at the same figure just goes to show that the Reds shouldn’t be too cut up about missing out on Lavia as they have a young player coming through the ranks who is just as exciting.
Bajcetic could be a star of the future, and if he continues to progress, that valuation will only skyrocket in a few years’ time.
