Hugo Ekitike's Rising Valuation Amid Injury Woes

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

His price tag? That’s going the other way.

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 on crutches, worth more than ever. Modern football in one snapshot.

A rising asset on the treatment table

Ekitike’s first months at Anfield were electric. Seventeen goals in seven months, a seamless fit into Liverpool’s front line, and the sense that this was only the beginning. Then came the rupture in April and the long, lonely road back.

He is not expected to return until late 2026 – or possibly early next year – yet the data says his market value has climbed. CIES factor in age, contract, performances, market inflation and what a buying club would realistically need to pay. For a 24-year-old France international forward, with numbers already banked in the Premier League and room to grow, the algorithms land at a staggering nine-figure sum.

Given his nationality and profile, any future mega-bid would inevitably drag Paris Saint-Germain into the conversation. Their history of triple-figure deals underpins why a £116m valuation doesn’t look out of place on the current market.

But all of that is theoretical until he’s back on the pitch. And that is where the optimism fades.

Iraola’s blunt injury reality

Andoni Iraola, speaking in July, did little to soften the blow when asked about Liverpool’s long-term absentees.

“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. Alexander Isak also missed a large chunk of last season with a serious knee problem. His importance now grows with every update that pushes Ekitike’s return further into the distance.

Liverpool need goals while one of their most expensive forwards watches from the stands. Isak, if he stays fit, becomes central to that plan.

Gakpo’s future and the reshaped front line

Iraola has already flagged another solution: Cody Gakpo as a central striker.

“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.

That versatility might be crucial. Or it might be showcased somewhere else.

Tottenham are interested in Gakpo, and there is no guarantee the Dutchman will still be at Anfield by the time the window shuts. The equation shifts again with Bradley Barcola arriving from Paris Saint-Germain, a move that could open the door for Gakpo to leave if Liverpool feel sufficiently stocked out wide.

Even then, that freedom would likely depend on further reinforcements. One of Yankuba Minteh or Ibrahim Mbaye – perhaps both – may need to walk through the door before Gakpo is allowed to walk out of it.

What is clear is that Liverpool’s attack is being rebuilt on the fly. Two summer additions, a fit-again Isak who could feel like a brand-new signing if he explodes early, and the looming, expensive absence of Ekitike.

A £116m striker on the sidelines, a reshaped front line on the pitch, and a club trying to chase trophies while one of its biggest assets can only watch. How long can they keep thriving without him?