Liverpool transfers: Can Bajcetic and Morton show Slot they're good enough?

There have already been plenty of reports about Liverpool looking for a new defensive midfielder this summer but could Arne Slot be tempted to ignore them due to some of the options in his squad already?

Slot will have his first real chance on the pre-season tour of the USA to analyse his players in every position with defensive midfield sure to have a lot of his focus when watching his new team in action.

As with every transfer window, Liverpool have been linked with several players as they approach their first game of pre-season but they are yet to make any official new signings.

The Reds are supposedly after a plethora of new men with the likes of Joshua Kimmich from Bayern Munich and Ederson from Atalanta mentioned as well as Slot’s old player Mats Wieffer before he joined Brighton but no official offers have been made so let's have a look at why that may be.

Mac Allister shines further forward

Last summer Liverpool moved on several players from their successful midfield under Jurgen Klopp with the two options in defensive midfield Jordan Henderson and Fabinho leaving the club.

Those two had to be replaced so Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo came in from Brighton and Stuttgart respectively.

The pair were the main choices that Klopp used in the deeper midfield role in his last season at the club with a deal for another player in that role falling through as Moises Caicedo opted to join Chelsea.

Mac Allister was arguably the pick of the bunch from the four new midfield signings that were made last campaign but there were some reservations by some, and still are, about his capabilities playing in a defensive role as his attacking qualities shine through when around the final third.

He played 24 games guarding the backline with only three goal contributions, whilst in his 22 matches higher up in the midfield he managed 11 with five of those being goals.

However with Slot prefers a 4-2-3-1 system on paper, even though he hinted at that not being the case to think so in his press conference, there is room for him to still be deeper but also to get forward.

That isn’t such a bad thing when looking at some of his data as according to FBREF over the last year he has been in the top percentiles when it comes to tackling and blocks compared to players in the top five leagues.

Can Endo be No.1 choice?

An ideal player to slot alongside him could be Endo who is much more about getting rid of any danger rather than pushing forward.

They played with each other 24 times in a midfield three last campaign only losing in 90 minutes just three times so there is clearly already a relationship in the middle of the park to build on between the pair.

At 31 years old though Endo may be viewed as not such a long-term option which was the case when he was signed but he proved to be more than solid enough under Klopp.

The question will be if Slot thinks he can go into the campaign with him as his number-one choice with there possibly being some doubts about how Endo could fulfil an interchangeable midfield role, due to being so used to purely helping out the back four.

Bajcetic back in contention

One player who could be more than ideal for that type of role in a pivot is forgotten wonderkid Stefan Bajcetic who had a torrid time during the 2023/24 season due to several injury problems.

The Spaniard burst onto the scene around Christmas time in 2022 before going on to win Liverpool’s Player of the Month in January showcasing just how good he was at only 18 years old.

That progress was cut short though as he suffered an adductor injury in March and since then he has only made three outings for Liverpool.

However, he is back and fully fit for pre-season under Slot as he looks to impress by getting the ball in tight spaces as well as driving forward with possession which was something that got all Liverpool fans on their feet during his first run of games.

In some matches in that period, Bajcetic was played further forward which could hint at his long-term future not being a pure defensive midfield so therefore a double pivot could be ideal for him as he shares the defensive responsibilities.

Morton with a chance to shine

Another player who has come through the ranks at Liverpool and is set to be given a big chance to shine in pre-season is Tyler Morton.

Morton is only 21 years old yet he already has a significant amount of experience under his belt as he made his Liverpool debut back in 2021.

He has had two loans to the Championship at Blackburn Rovers and Hull City being a key member in each squad in both seasons.

Even though he has been linked with a move away, like everyone he has a chance to really show that he is up to the task of being an option for Slot.

The concern around Morton would be over his ability to be an out-and-out defensive midfielder as his data around tackling and interceptions could be improved but his passing ability all around the pitch is one of his standout traits.

That is again when the new system and the potential of a double pivot could help him out certainly considering the role he played at Hull was similar.

Lastly, James McConnell, who featured in the League Cup final against Chelsea, and Luca Stephenson are also in the USA squad.

The pair are also options for defensive midfield so they could even surprise a few as we have seen just how neat and tidy McConnell is in possession which is something Slot will be demanding as his teams love to dominate play.

All of this basically means that this pre-season tour should be one of the most interesting in recent years as it’s seemingly up to these players to decide whether Slot dips into the transfer market or not in August.