Hugo Ekitike: Liverpool's £116m Striker in Recovery

Hugo Ekitike hasn’t kicked a ball since April. His Achilles went, his season collapsed, and Liverpool were left without the striker who had lit up Anfield for seven blistering months.

Yet his price is going the other way.

The 24-year-old Frenchman, signed from Eintracht Frankfurt for £79million last summer, is now valued at up to £116m by the CIES Football Observatory, despite facing months more on the sidelines. No goals, no minutes, but a soaring market tag that underlines just how quickly he convinced people on Merseyside – and beyond.

A £116m striker in the treatment room

Ekitike’s start at Liverpool was electric: 17 goals before his Achilles tendon ruptured in April. He looked like the future of the attack, not a stopgap. At 24, with his best years supposedly ahead of him, the data models say his worth has only climbed.

CIES factor in age, contract length, position, performances and market inflation to estimate what a buying club would realistically need to pay. In Ekitike’s case, the figure lands at a staggering £116m. In an era of triple-figure deals, especially for attacking players, the number doesn’t feel out of step with the current market.

Given his nationality and profile, any future bidding war would inevitably drag Paris Saint-Germain into the conversation. That alone inflates the hypothetical price. But all of it hinges on one thing: when he actually plays again.

Iraola’s blunt injury reality

Andoni Iraola did little to sugar-coat the situation when he was asked in July about his long-term absentees. The news on Ekitike was grim.

“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.

Months. Not weeks. Liverpool know they will be without their £79m striker for the first half of the season at least, with late 2026 – or even early next year – mentioned as a realistic return window. For a team built to challenge, that is a huge hole.

He is not alone in the treatment room. Conor Bradley and Leoni are also recovering from serious knee injuries, while Alexander Isak missed a significant chunk of last season as well. The difference is that Isak is expected to carry a heavy load this time.

Isak’s burden and the Cody Gakpo question

With Ekitike unavailable, Isak becomes central to Liverpool’s plans. The Swede’s absence last term was deeply felt; his presence this time is non-negotiable.

Iraola has already floated another solution: Cody Gakpo as a No 9.

“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,” the Liverpool boss explained.

It is a tactical adjustment born out of necessity. Gakpo understands the role, has played it before, and offers a different profile to Isak. On paper, it works.

But there is a problem. He might not be there.

Transfer dominoes around Gakpo

Tottenham are circling Gakpo, sensing an opportunity as Liverpool reshape their forward line. His future is far from guaranteed beyond the end of the window.

Bradley Barcola’s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain could open the door for Gakpo to leave, yet Liverpool are unlikely to sanction that without further reinforcements. Any exit would almost certainly be tied to at least one of Yankuba Minteh or Ibrahim Mbaye coming through the door – perhaps even both.

The attack is being rebuilt on the fly. One new winger in, possibly another. A versatile forward who could leave. A record signing recovering from a devastating injury. And Isak, expected to feel like a “new signing” himself if he hits the ground running after his own disrupted campaign.

Liverpool will start the season without the man data models say is worth £116m. The question now is whether the pieces around him can keep the club on track long enough for him to matter when he finally returns.