Hugo Ekitike's Rising Value Amid Injury Setback
Hugo Ekitike will not kick a ball for Liverpool for months, yet his value is heading in only one direction – up.
The French forward, sidelined by a serious Achilles injury, is now rated at an eye-watering £116million by CIES Football Observatory, despite being ruled out for the first half of the season and possibly longer.
A £116m striker on crutches
Ekitike has not played since rupturing his Achilles in April. His recovery is expected to run well into the campaign, with a realistic return not forecast until late 2026 – and there remains the possibility it could drift into the new year.
Liverpool paid £79m to prise him from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer and, for seven months, he looked worth every penny. Seventeen goals in his debut season at Anfield underlined why the club pushed so hard to get him and why, at 24, there is a belief his peak still lies ahead.
That blend of age, production and potential is exactly what CIES have latched onto. Using their modelling tools, which factor in market inflation and what a buying club would likely have to pay in the current climate, they have pushed his estimated value up to £116m.
In today’s market, that figure no longer feels outlandish. Triple-figure deals for elite forwards have become the norm, and with Ekitike a young French international, the obvious future bidder in any hypothetical scenario would be Paris Saint-Germain. The numbers, on paper, add up.
Iraola’s blunt injury reality
The valuation sits in stark contrast to the reality facing Andoni Iraola. When the Liverpool head coach ran through his list of long-term absentees in July, there was little sugar-coating.
“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 extended spells out, while Alexander Isak also missed a large chunk of last season with a serious knee issue. The Swede’s fitness is now central to Liverpool’s plans. With Ekitike unavailable, Isak is suddenly not just important – he is essential.
Gakpo, the false nine – or the next big sale?
Iraola has already started sketching out alternatives. One of them wears No.18 and usually hugs the left touchline.
“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 plan sounds logical. Yet it comes with a major caveat: there is no certainty Cody Gakpo will still be at Anfield by the time the window closes.
Tottenham are circling. If Spurs firm up their interest, Liverpool’s attacking jigsaw could be ripped up again before September even begins.
Transfer dominoes in attack
One move could trigger several. Bradley Barcola’s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain would give Liverpool another wide option and, in theory, more room to negotiate over Gakpo’s future.
But that door only truly opens if more pieces fall into place. The club would likely want at least one of Yankuba Minteh or Ibrahim Mbaye in through the door – and possibly both – before they seriously consider cashing in on the Dutchman.
So Liverpool edge towards the new season with a front line in flux. A record signing in Ekitike, valued at £116m, is nowhere near a return. Isak, if he stays fit, could feel like a fresh signing himself. Around them, Barcola, Gakpo, Minteh, Mbaye – names on a board, waiting to be pinned into a final shape.
The numbers say Liverpool possess one of the most valuable injured forwards in Europe. The question that will define their season is simpler: when the games start to pile up, who will actually be on the pitch?
