Liverpool may have to block summer exit after Hugo Ekitike injury concern emerges

Liverpool may need to rethink summer transfer plans, with Hugo Ekitike facing a long spell out through an Achilles injury, with one particular exit needing to change course

Liverpool may have to rethink summer transfer plans following Hugo Ekitike's injury(Image: (Photo by Stuart Franklin - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images))

Liverpool's summer transfer plans could be set to change in the coming weeks and months, as the club's hierarchy looks to navigate a devastating injury to Hugo Ekitike.

The striker is set for nine months out through injury, if recent reports are to be believed, following an Achilles tendon issue he picked up against PSG in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.

Ekitike went to ground off the ball and required a stretcher to help him off the Anfield pitch, signalling the trouble that the forward appeared to be in. With Alexander Isak the only natural centre-forward remaining, the Liverpool board could change their plans for the summer transfer window, switching focus to striker targets over other positions.

While that is one option to bolster the forward ranks, another decision could see them deny an exit for Federico Chiesa, who could become an increasingly important figure for the team in the months to come.

The 28-year-old has had plenty of false starts for the Reds since his switch from Juventus in 2024, with injuries impacting his ability to make a regular enough impact.

This season has seen fewer injury issues and an increase in appearances, making 33 so far this season compared to just 14 last campaign, while he remains one of the only players in the squad, alongside Cody Gakpo, with experience playing as a centre-forward with nearly 100 appearances through the middle in his career.

Federico Chiesa remains a centre-forward option for Liverpool while Hugo Ekitike is out injured(Image: (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images))

That move may allow Liverpool to look elsewhere in the market, while allowing for a rotation option for Isak whenever he needs a rest.

Whether Chiesa would be happy with the role is another question, however, as he could face another season of being a squad player rather than a regular starter.

Either way, Liverpool's board will need to be clever with how they look at a rebuild, given the size of the task ahead of them in the summer.

Mohamed Salah's exit will only weaken the attacking options on the right, which look thin, while the left wing is being battled for between Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha.

The midfield could undergo a refresh, while the full-back ranks are another area for concern with the exit of Andy Robertson also confirmed for this summer.

With all that in mind, diverting yet more funds towards the striker department, when Isak is available and Ekitike will be back in the future, may be something of a waste.

As a result, keeping Chiesa to play there may help unlock opportunities to improve elsewhere, even if it isn't the ideal solution to the huge loss of the star striker.