Liverpool will look to sign a new striker this summer in light of Hugo Ekitike’s serious injury, according to a key claim from journalist Pete O’Rourke.
Ekitike may not even play again for the remainder of 2026 after a dreadful achilles injury against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night, with the Frenchman posting a heartfelt message on Instagram:
“It’s hard, maybe even unfair… but I’m grateful this is happening to me here, among you. I’m not alone. Your strength and your love will be my driving force. See you again soon, Anfield.”
It has heightened the need for Liverpool to bring in an additional striker at the end of the season, and speaking to Football Insider, O’Rourke said they will be looking to do just that:
“It was a serious injury to Hugo Ekitike, I feel for the player because he’s facing a long spell on the sidelines. It’s a major blow to him because he’ll miss out on the World Cup and he was having a great debut season at Anfield as well. Liverpool have had their injury problems as well, Alexander Isak has missed a large chunk of the season after picking up that bad injury as well.
“With Mohamed Salah leaving this summer, his departure and Ekitike’s injury does leave Liverpool very short of attacking options. The recruitment team don’t want to be going into next season with just one recognised number nine in Isak, and they won’t really want to take any risks in case anything happens to him, so I’m sure it’s something they will be looking at.
“It’s a big concern for Liverpool and it does definitely affect their transfer plans because the injury to Ekitike does leave them very short up front.”
A new striker now a must for Liverpool this summer
Ekitike’s injury is a cruel blow, not only for the player but also for Liverpool, making their summer transfer plans more complex all of a sudden.
Relying on Alexander Isak staying fit next season would be a major risk, especially considering the Reds’ record signing has just returned from a serious injury of his own, so reinforcements are essential at centre forward.
At least one winger also needs to come in, but preferably two, so Liverpool’s attack could have a very different look to it on the opening day of next season.
Ekitike will hopefully make a full recovery, but given the severity of his achilles issue, the sad reality is that there is a risk of him never quite being the same footballer again.
