Liverpool news: Hugo Ekitike injury could impact transfer plans as summer challenge laid bare
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SportFootballLiverpool FCLiverpool's season will now end without silverware as the club were dealt a triple blow in their Champions League eliminationLiverpool's nightmare season continues to go from bad to worse with Hugo Ekitike the latest victim of a disappointing campaign. Liverpool fans aren't the only ones thinking ahead towards the summer transfer window with Arne Slot already commenting on the club's possible business.Mirror Football takes a look at the impact of Ekitike's injury could have on Liverpool's transfer plans as well as the summer challenge Slot admitted his side will have to endure as they look to move on from Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson.Hugo Ekitike injury implicationAccording to The Athletic, Ekitike will be out of action for several months due to the injury he suffered against the French champions.
The outlet claims to have been told by sources that the France international has sustained a suspected Achilles rupture that is set to rule him out of the World Cup in June.Not only would the 23-year-old miss out on his first opportunity to represent his country in a major tournament, given the seriousness of the injury, Ekitike would also be unavailable for the opening months of next season too.READ MORE: Mohamed Salah's dream Liverpool exit collapses after Jamie Carragher Anfield farewell commentsREAD MORE: Wayne Rooney levels brutal accusation at Arne Slot's Liverpool players after PSG Champions League exitFOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FB PAGE! Taking into account that Salah is set to leave the club with Federico Chiesa likely to depart too, the Reds could go into the 26/27 season with an attack consisting of just Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha which could force them to act in the summer window.Arne Slot admits challengeDescribing the club as one in "transition", Arne Slot admitted after the PSG defeat that the loss of Salah and Robertson on free transfers has added to the challenge he'll have to return the club to contending for and winning titles.He told Prime Video: "Now we are losing Mo and Andy Robertson on a free transfer as we lost Trent [Alexander-Arnold] and this model of the club means we need to sell, usually, to buy.
It's going to be a challenge in the summer again.""This club has also shown many times that this model works and we can be very successful with his model," Slot added. Tuesday's defeat confirmed that the Dutchman's second season at Anfield will end without trophies but he chose to remain upbeat about his team's future.He added: "I think we have signed very good and talented players.