Liverpool make decision on Hugo Ekitike transfer replacement
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The Telegraph has revealed Liverpool’s plan for how to plan for Hugo Ekitike’s injury heading into the 2026/27 campaign. Image Credits: Imago ImagesThe Telegraph has revealed Liverpool’s plan for how to plan for Hugo Ekitike’s injury heading into the 2026/27 campaign.When the Frenchman went down clutching his right ankle inside the opening half-hour of Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final against PSG at Anfield last month, every supporter in the ground sensed the worst.The non-contact slip, the immediate medical intervention, the visible distress as he was carried away – it all pointed to the kind of injury that can derail a career, never mind a season.Subsequent scans confirmed the nightmare scenario.
The 23-year-old had ruptured his right Achilles tendon, an injury Liverpool officially announced would rule him out for the remainder of the campaign and France’s World Cup summer.Ekitike has since undergone successful surgery in London, with the procedure remotely overseen by the same physician who operated on NBA star Jayson Tatum’s ruptured Achilles in 2025.Even with everything going to plan, the Frenchman is facing a minimum of eight to ten months out before he can return to full training.As a result, attention has shifted toward whether the club would look to sign a replacement in the summer, especially with Alexander Isak’s own fitness issues this term.But according to the Telegraph’s Dominic King, Liverpool will not look to sign any replacement after spending so much Ekitike and Isak last summer:“Liverpool will not look to find a replacement for Hugo Ekitike,” the Merseyside journalist wrote.“They are confident after successful surgery the France striker will return to the levels he showed before rupturing his Achilles tendon and it would not be their style to spend big after such huge recent expenditure in one area.”It is, of course, a stance that will divide the fanbase.Some will argue that nine months is simply too long to leave Arne Slot a striker short, particularly with Mohamed Salah confirmed to be moving on and Isak’s first season at Anfield having been disrupted by his own muscular issues.Others will see the logic in trusting the squad already assembled and backing Ekitike to come back stronger – a young forward whose 17-goal debut campaign suggested the ceiling is genuinely elite.