Hugo Ekitike: Liverpool's Rising Asset Despite Injury

Hugo Ekitike hasn’t kicked a ball for Liverpool since April. His Achilles tendon went, his season collapsed, and the first half of the new campaign is already written off.

Yet his price is going up.

The 24-year-old forward, signed from Eintracht Frankfurt for £79million last summer, is now valued at up to £116m by the CIES Football Observatory. A player in a protective boot, on crutches not long ago, now carries a triple-figure valuation on paper.

A rising asset on the treatment table

Ekitike’s first seven months at Anfield explained why Liverpool pushed so hard to get him. Seventeen goals, a constant threat, and the feeling that this was only the beginning. He had not reached his peak years, but he was already shaping games, already justifying the outlay.

CIES’ model factors in age, contract length, performance data, market inflation and what buying clubs have recently paid for similar profiles. In Ekitike’s case, his age, productivity and profile as a French international forward push him into that £116m bracket.

If anyone were to test Liverpool’s resolve, the obvious candidate would be Paris Saint-Germain, a club that has normalised nine-figure deals and has a long history of targeting elite French talent. In that context, the valuation suddenly looks less wild.

Of course, it all hinges on when he is actually back on the pitch.

Iraola’s blunt injury reality

Andoni Iraola did little to sugar-coat the situation when he spoke in July about his long-term absentees. The Liverpool head coach laid out the pecking order for returns, and Ekitike was not near the front.

“In terms of order, I think the closest one to returning is [Giovanni] Leoni. After will be Conor [Bradley] and Hugo, but especially the last two are still way off. We are talking about months and still a lot of time out,” he said.

Bradley and Ekitike both face long roads back, and they are not alone. Alexander Isak also lost a big chunk of last season to a serious knee injury. His fitness now matters more than ever.

With Ekitike sidelined until late 2026 or even early next year, Liverpool need Isak to carry a heavy load. They cannot afford another prolonged absence in that part of the pitch.

Gakpo’s role, and a transfer dilemma

That pressure has pushed Iraola to consider alternatives. One of them is already in the building.

“I think Cody can play as a 9. Not tried it pre-season because we don't have enough wingers. He knows what we need from him in his preferred position as a left-winger but I have spoken to him about his minutes as a 9. He's done it before and he can help us there,” Iraola explained.

So Cody Gakpo, signed and developed as a left-sided forward who drifts inside, may be asked to lead the line. It is not a new role for him, but it would be a significant tactical shift if it becomes a regular feature rather than an occasional solution.

There is a catch. Gakpo might not even be at Anfield by the time the window shuts. Tottenham are circling, sensing an opportunity if Liverpool decide to reshape their forward line and cash in on a versatile attacker.

The arrival of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain could open that door. A new winger would ease the burden out wide and, on paper, make Gakpo more expendable. But Liverpool are unlikely to sanction his departure without at least one more attacking signing – possibly two.

Yankuba Minteh and Ibrahim Mbaye are both on the radar. One of them, maybe both, could be needed to balance the numbers if Gakpo goes and Ekitike remains unavailable until deep into the campaign.

A new-look attack, with a familiar question

Liverpool are heading into the new season with an attack that could look very different very quickly. Barcola is in, more signings could follow, and Isak’s return to full fitness has the feel of a major boost in itself. If he hits the ground running, he will feel like a new signing.

All of this is happening while one of the club’s most valuable assets is stuck in rehab, his worth climbing even as his minutes stay at zero.

Liverpool know exactly what Ekitike can be when he is fit. The question is whether their reshaped forward line can keep pace with their ambitions until he is ready to remind everyone why his value keeps rising from the sidelines.