Liverpool have confirmed that teenager midfielder Stefan Bajcetic has signed a new long-term contract at Anfield.
The 18-year-old is enjoying regular first-team opportunities under Jurgen Klopp this season and has earned plenty of plaudits for his accomplished performances.
Bajcetic has 10 senior appearances to his name in a Liverpool shirt this season, and he scored his first goal for the club in a 3-1 Premier League win over Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
Reports earlier on Thursday stated that Liverpool were to reward the Spaniard's rise with a new and improved offer, and the Reds have now confirmed his extension.
Bajcetic is believed to have penned a four-and-a-half year extension until the end of the 2026-27 season, and he has expressed his desire to continue in Merseyside red for years to come.
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"Obviously I'm so, so happy, so excited to keep playing for this club and hopefully I can play more years together. Me and my family are very proud to sign a new contract with this club," Bajcetic told liverpoolfc.com.
"It feels amazing. It's something I've been dreaming of in these two years I've been here and something that I've been working hard [for] as well.
"It's crazy. A year ago I was playing U18s football and now I've started some games, made my debut and even scored a goal – that was something I never expected to happen this year. It's amazing to see how fast it went. But I keep working hard and hopefully [there are] more things to come."
Bajcetic left Celta Vigo's youth academy in December 2020 to sign for the Reds, and he made his first-team debut off the bench in their 9-0 thrashing of Bournemouth back in August.
The teenager has also played three games in the 2022-23 Champions League, and he started Liverpool's 1-0 FA Cup third-round replay win over Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month, receiving his praise for his composed showing.
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Bajcetic kept his place ahead of Fabinho for last weekend's Premier League clash with Chelsea, playing 82 minutes of that goalless draw with the Blues at Anfield.
Elaborating on his rapid rise to first-team football, Bajcetic added: "Last season when we were playing U18s, some games in the U21s, we knew some of the staff were watching the games, and I had some training that season with the first team.
"Obviously then I went to pre-season – me and my teammates – and that was the time we worked harder and we were close to the first team. I think that was the moment they chose me to stay.
"My target is to be a regular here at Liverpool and keep winning trophies with this club and achieving things collectively basically."
Bajcetic could make his third successive start for Liverpool when the Reds meet Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday lunchtime.
The Spain Under-18 international joins the likes of Mohamed Salah, James Milner, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez and Diogo Jota to have extended their Liverpool deals within the last 12 months.
Ben Knapton
