The number is eye-catching enough on its own. £116million for Hugo Ekitike, despite the fact Liverpool’s striker is still months away from a return, is exactly the sort of valuation that tells you two things at once: the player’s stock remains absurdly high, and the club’s forward planning has become a genuine test of patience.
Ekitike ruptured his Achilles tendon in April and is not expected back until late 2026, or potentially early next year. That is not a small setback, and it is not the sort of absence a club simply waves away. Liverpool paid £79million for him last summer because they believed they were buying a major attacking weapon, and for good reason. In his first seven months at Anfield, he scored 17 goals. That is the sort of return that changes perceptions quickly.
And yet the valuation still lands with real force. That is because Ekitike has already done enough to convince the market he is no one-season wonder, even while the injury has put his immediate Liverpool future on ice. It is a reminder that football values are not always about availability in the present tense. Sometimes they are a blunt judgment on talent, ceiling and demand — and in Ekitike’s case, the ceiling is clearly still towering.
What Liverpool have to do while he is out
The awkward part, of course, is that Liverpool do not get to cash in on that value right now. They have to build around his absence, not his potential. That is where the conversation turns to Cody Gakpo, who has been talked about as a possible central striker option while Ekitike is unavailable. Andoni Iraola’s comments earlier this year captured the reality of these long recoveries pretty neatly: Giovanni Leoni was closest to returning, then Conor Bradley, with Hugo and Bradley still “way off” and “months” from being ready. That is the sort of timeline that forces teams to improvise rather than plan cleanly.
Iraola also made clear that Gakpo can play as a 9, even if he was not tried there in pre-season because the squad lacked enough wingers. He said he had spoken to Gakpo about his minutes up front, and that the Dutchman can help in that role. That is the practical consequence of Ekitike’s injury: Liverpool need solutions now, not theory. A £116million valuation is flattering, but it does not solve the problem of an attack that must keep moving without one of its most expensive pieces.
So yes, the market is still loudly in love with Ekitike. The problem for Liverpool is that this love comes with a very long wait attached. He remains a huge asset, but for the near future he is a headline more than a footballer. And in a season that demands flexibility, that is a costly reality no valuation can disguise.
