Liverpool makes Hugo Ekitike transfer decision as fans' biggest fear after injury addressed
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Hugo Ekitike is set to miss the start of next season after rupturing his Achilles tendon, and Liverpool's transfer strategy has been outlined as it prepares for his absenceHugo Ekitike is expected to miss the start of next season through injury(Image: Getty Images)Liverpool will NOT seek a replacement for Hugo Ekitike this summer, despite the striker being set to miss the start of next season through injury.Ekitike had enjoyed a good start to his first campaign at Anfield, having made the move from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer, before his season was cruelly cut short against Paris Saint-Germain last month.The 23-year-old ruptured his Achilles tendon during the second leg of the Reds’ quarter-final defeat to the defending European champions. As a result, he will now miss out on a first World Cup appearance, and he will also be absent for the start of the 2025/26 season.READ MORE: Liverpool handed boost without kicking ball as Champions League hopes endedREAD MORE: John Henry sends timely message to Liverpool fans after Anfield protestsNo timeline has yet been put on a potential comeback, but other players have endured long lay-offs with the same injury in the past, raising fears that Liverpool may have to go through much of next season with Alexander Isak as its only senior striker.Not only that, but there are concerns that such an injury may prove hugely detrimental to Ekitike’s career, although Liverpool appears to be remaining hopeful.According to The Telegraph, the club will not pursue a replacement for Ekitike, despite the prospect that he could be out for a lengthy period in the new season.
What’s more, Liverpool is said to be confident that he will return to the levels he showed before suffering his injury.Hugo Ekitike is facing a long lay-off after rupturing his Achilles tendon(Image: Getty Images)That’s despite Arne Slot hinting last month that his side’s business this summer would be shaped by Ekitike’s absence."I think you always take into account which players you are having available for large parts of next season and then you think 'what's there on the market, what can we afford, who wants to come to us?'," Slot said."So it is not as simple as people think it is... 'Oh, there is a good player walking around, let's sign him.'"You always look at your squad for the short and long-term. Especially this club is very focused on the long-term, a lot of other clubs are very focused on the short-term, but this club tries to combine that with the long-term.Get LFC's 2025/26 season home and away kitsThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it.
Learn moreFrom $100LFC.comSee the dealLiverpool's home and away strips for the 2025/26 season are the first in their new partnership with adidas.Fans can order jerseys in the US at Fanatics.com or via the LFC Online Store in both the US and across the world."So a lot of factors go into a decision and one of them is definitely Hugo being out and the other one is what is available and what does the rest of the team look like and what do we need?”The Reds though are expected to do some business in attack, with Federico Chiesa “certain” to be sold this summer, and with Mohamed Salah’s departure already confirmed, options will be limited without any new faces.PSG’s Bradley Barcola is named in the report, with the 23-year-old having been linked with a move to Anfield last year as well. The club distanced itself from him then, with Rio Ngumoha’s development having been seen as a priority, but he could re-emerge as a potential target in the coming months.