FC Barcelona set the wheels in motion once the worst forecasts were confirmed with Marc Bernal's injury. The midfielder tore his cruciate ligament and meniscus and will be out for the rest of the season, so the Catalan club got to work to get a 'low cost' option to fill the gap left by the youth player in the midfield of the team led by Hansi Flick.
In that sense, from the offices of Spotify Camp Nou they set their sights on Liverpool and have chosen Stefan Bajcetic as Marc's ideal replacement in the centre of the field. The Spanish footballer of Serbian origin is not in Arne Slot's plans, so Can Barça have already contacted the red institution to acquire the services of the midfielder through a paid loan of 4 million euros without an option to buy, as reported by the journalist Fabrizio Romano.
For its part, the 'SER' chain assures that the player, who was one step away from leaving on loan to RB Salzburg, would have received a call in the last few hours from the Blaugrana sports management to make him change his decision to go to Austria. The culés want to convince him to head to the Ciudad Condal, where Hansi Flick's midfield has been 'diminished' by the injuries of Bernal, De Jong, Gavi and also those of Christensen and Eric, who can act as emergency pivots
Barça, 'against the clock'
Thus, the Blaugrana entity has just over 48 hours left to achieve a signing, whether Bajcetic or another name, that fits into the complex financial situation of the club, so the operation cannot involve a significant outlay. The Catalans want to bring in a pure pivot who can offer defensive balance and add judgement when playing out the game, qualities provided by Marc, and Stefan's profile would meet these conditions.
However, the situation of the Berga midfielder, who was part of the first team with a reserve team card, complicates the landing of his replacement. His long-term absence does not generate salary margin, which is why the Blaugrana offices will have to find an imaginative solution to be able to close an incorporation, either through transfer or loan, that can be registered before midnight on Friday 30 August.