Whatever transfer plans Liverpool had been brewing behind the scenes were thrown into disarray after the news surrounding Hugo Ekitike.
As the Reds battled away against PSG in their Champions League quarter-final second leg, the French forward went down under no pressure from any opposition players. He was subsequently stretchered off the pitch.
Ekitike will now miss at least the next nine months of action courtesy of a ruptured Achilles. It’s a cruel blow for Liverpool’s top scorer who will, of course, also miss the World Cup.
In a summer where Arne Slot‘s side are also set to lose Mohamed Salah, this blow could not have come at a worse time. So, what’s the plan?
How Liverpool plan to improve their forward line
First things first, Liverpool simply have to replace Salah. How you do that is anyone’s guess, but Richard Hughes and Co have drawn up a shortlist that includes Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise.
Still, that move feels like something of a fantasy given his form in Germany. The French winger has 19 goals and 29 assists during a jaw-dropping campaign.
A more realistic option is Yan Diomande, who also plays in Germany. This has been a breakthrough campaign for the Ivorian winger and he could leave RB Leipzig behind with Liverpool reportedly in talks to sign him.
So, one of those players would solve the Salah issue but how do you solve the problem that Ekitike’s injury has brought about? Well, they could look towards the Premier League.
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Indeed, according to Caught Offside, Liverpool are showing interest in signing Bournemouth striker Eli Kroupi Jr.
The 19-year-old has been one of the most impressive young players in the Premier League this season and is rightfully receiving admiring glances from bigger clubs.
Liverpool and Chelsea are said to be among Kroupi’s ‘main suitors’ this summer but they do face intense competition from Manchester City.
Sky Sports Belgium note that Man City have already opened talks over a potential deal that could cost around £69m.
Why Kroupi could be another Isak for Liverpool
Alexander Isak‘s move to Liverpool has been nothing short of a disaster.
The Swede moved to Anfield last summer for a British record transfer fee of £125m but due to a plethora of reasons, he hasn’t been able to show why he became one of the best strikers in the world during his stint at Newcastle United.
|
Premier League record signings |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rank |
Club |
Player |
Fee |
|
1 |
Liverpool |
Alexander Isak |
£125m |
|
2 |
Chelsea |
Moises Caicedo |
£115m |
|
3 |
Arsenal |
Declan Rice |
£105m |
|
4 |
Manchester City |
Jack Grealish |
£100m |
|
5 |
Manchester Utd |
Paul Pogba |
£89m |
|
6 |
Newcastle |
Nick Woltemade |
£69m |
|
7 |
Tottenham |
Dominic Solanke |
£65m |
|
8 |
Aston Villa |
Moussa Diaby |
£51.9m |
This term, Isak has scored just four goals in all competitions and he’s only featured across 13 Premier League matches, largely due to a broken fibula that ruled him out for three months.
Still, even when the forward has been on the pitch, he has offered very little. He did, at least, score against Crystal Palace last Saturday. Perhaps this is finally the start of something special in Merseyside.
Speaking of something special, Kroupi is very much held in that regard. Described as “the new Mbappe” back in 2023 when he attracted interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona, the French wonderkid has shown precisely why he’s been given that billing this season.
“He’s a phenomenon. He reminds me a little of Kylian Mbappe in terms of the maturity of his game. He already has good stats for a youngster his age.” – Tiemoue Bakayoko on Kroupi.
The teenager is just one goal away from matching the all-time Premier League record for goals scored by a teenager in their first campaign in English football. He has scored 11 times in 2025/26 with only Robbie Keane and Robbie Fowler (both 12) having scored more during their debut seasons.
He ranks 16th on the list of all-time Premier League scorers as a teenager, leading some impressive names, including Dele Alli. He’s on the verge of overtaking Ryan Giggs (12), Marcus Rashford (13) and Raheem Sterling (14), although he remains some way behind Michael Owen’s remarkable tally of 40.
|
Most goals by teenagers in Premier League history |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Goals |
|
1) Michael Owen |
40 |
|
2) Robbie Fowler |
35 |
|
3) Wayne Rooney |
30 |
|
4) Mason Greenwood |
20 |
|
5) Nicolas Anelka |
19 |
|
6) Alan Smith |
17 |
|
=6) Francis Jeffers |
17 |
|
8) Raheem Sterling |
14 |
|
=8) Romelu Lukaku |
14 |
|
=8) Chris Bart-Williams |
14 |
|
11) Marcus Rashford |
13 |
Judging by that, he could well be one of the best young strikers Liverpool have had at their disposal since Ballon d’Or winner, Owen.
Like Isak and like Owen, Kroupi is a tricky and dynamic forward player. He’s quick, he’s fleet-footed and he loves playing in the channels. Isak, who has often been compared to Henry, is a master of doing just that.
While signing a new striker perhaps isn’t overly necessary, Liverpool need to find a way of replacing both Salah and Ekitike. Kroupi could certainly help in that regard as Slot seeks to add more goals to his ranks.
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