Liverpool lost Hugo Ekitike to a serious injury recently, while Alexander Isak is still getting back to full match fitness, and Arne Slot’s side needs to have enough options
“I’m out of here, I’ll be back soon,” Hugo Ekitike posted on Instagram. The Liverpool man’s hopes of playing for France this summer are over, though, and a serious Achilles injury is a major setback.
Ekitike’s first season at Anfield since his move from Eintracht Frankfurt has seen him score 17 goals, and with Alexander Isak struggling for most of the campaign, either through injury or a lack of match sharpness, the $106 million (£79 million) man has been vital.
Being without Ekitike for the remainder of this season should not be too big an issue given that Liverpool is on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League again, but the 23-year-old could be sidelined for a good while.
It is in that context that the Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport has claimed that Liverpool is among the clubs to hold an interest in 27-year-old Randal Kolo Muani, the PSG striker who is currently on loan at Tottenham.
Juventus is said to be keen — which feels like a much likelier move — while PSG has no interest in keeping the French striker, even though it bought him for $105 million (£78 million) in 2023.
And while signing Kolo Muani seems unlikely, Liverpool may need to consider its attacking plans for the summer depending on the extent of Ekitike’s setback.
If the French forward, who will definitely miss the World Cup, is set to sit out a substantial part of next season, the Reds cannot go into the campaign with only one number nine.
Signing a short-term option might be a requirement, or at least adding a wide forward who is capable of playing through the center as well, to fill in when Isak needs a break.
It seems likely that when Isak is fully up to speed — after a full summer to prepare for the new campaign and get properly match fit — Liverpool will see the best of the Swede.
But if this season as proven anything, it is that you can never have too many good options in attack. Isak and Ekitike have rarely been fit at the same time and Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo have largely struggled.
“It is a good thing we have signed two No.9s, because there were a lot of people who were debating why we did,” Slot said when the injury to Ekitike had been confirmed.
“We thought maybe it’s a smart idea not to be the only club in the world that has only one No.9. Now people are maybe questioning if we should sign another No.9.
“Someone said to me the day after [PSG], you cannot write the script that, on the day Alex is back after four months, the other one leaves the pitch with a long-term injury. It is a good thing Alex is back now even more, but we also know he is not ready to play 90 [minutes] yet.”
The same logic should apply next season. Liverpool simply can’t afford to leave itself short, even if that means changing its transfer plan heading into another big summer.