Hugo Ekitike: A Rising Valuation Amid Injury Setback
Hugo Ekitike will not kick a ball for Liverpool in the first half of the season. His Achilles tendon rupture in April has taken him out of the picture until at least late 2026 – and possibly into the new year. Yet on the balance sheet, his stock is rising.
The 24-year-old forward, signed from Eintracht Frankfurt in a £79million deal last summer, now carries an estimated transfer value of £116m, according to CIES Football Observatory. A player in a protective boot, priced like a franchise forward.
A sidelined star, a soaring valuation
Ekitike’s first seven months at Anfield justified the initial outlay. Seventeen goals, a seamless adaptation, and the sense Liverpool had secured their No 9 for the next decade. Then the Achilles went, and the project stalled.
CIES’ algorithms say otherwise. Factoring in market inflation, age, contract situation and the kind of fee an elite club would realistically pay, their model pushes his value into nine figures. At 24, with proven output in a top league and room to grow, the numbers add up in today’s market.
His nationality only sharpens the picture. A prime-age French international-level forward with a scoring record at Liverpool naturally points to Paris Saint-Germain as the type of club who would be forced to the table with a triple-figure offer. In that context, £116m is less fantasy and more reflection of a hyper-inflated market.
All of it, though, still hinges on one thing: when he actually returns.
Iraola’s blunt injury verdict
Andoni Iraola has not sugar-coated the situation. Speaking in July about his long-term absentees, the Liverpool head coach laid out the order of returns – and it did not make pleasant reading for those hoping for a quick Ekitike comeback.
“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 are not alone. Both suffered serious knee injuries last season, and Alexander Isak also missed a large chunk of the campaign. The Swede, fit again, now becomes central to Liverpool’s plans in the final third.
With Ekitike out for months, Isak cannot just contribute – he has to carry stretches of the season.
Gakpo’s role and a transfer domino
That load could be shared in an unexpected way. Iraola has already floated Cody Gakpo as an option through the middle.
“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.
The idea is clear: Gakpo as a flexible solution, Isak as the focal point, and Ekitike as the long-term trump card once fit.
But there is a twist. Gakpo might not even be at Anfield when the window closes. Tottenham are interested, and Liverpool’s attacking puzzle could be redrawn again before September.
Bradley Barcola’s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain offers one release valve. His signing could open the door for Gakpo to leave, but only if Liverpool feel properly covered. That likely means at least one of Yankuba Minteh or Ibrahim Mbaye coming in – and possibly both – before anyone is allowed to walk out.
A new-look attack, with one expensive absentee
So Liverpool head into the new season with a reshaped front line: Barcola bedding in, Isak ready to feel like a new signing if he explodes from the start, and Gakpo’s future hanging in the balance.
And above it all, a £116m striker watching from the treatment room.
If Ekitike returns at anything like the level he showed in those first seven months, that valuation will not look outrageous for long. If the recovery drags or the explosiveness fades, Liverpool’s most expensive absentee becomes one of the most intriguing storylines of their season.
