Liverpool will be without Hugo Ekitike for a substantial period of time because of his injury, but Andoni Iraola may already have the stopgap he requires in the short-term
Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong during a Liverpool gym session.
Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong during a Liverpool gym session.(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
There was a school of thought pushed forward by some last summer that Liverpool signing Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike in the same window was excessive.
Around a year on, the pair have rarely played alongside one another. It is unlikely, given Ekitike's serious Achilles injury, that they will be featuring together regularly until the second half of 2026/27 at the earliest.
Quite simply, having two quality number nines was a necessity for Arne Slot's side. He didn't really get the chance to use them, and Andoni Iraola, who has taken over from the Dutchman, will have to be patient too.
As it stands, Liverpool only has five 'senior' forwards available, and one of those is the 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha. Another is Federico Chiesa, who has started two Premier League games in two seasons.
Victor Munoz, the summer signing from Osasuna, is yet to meet his new teammates after having a break following the World Cup, while Isak and Cody Gakpo complete the forward line.
Given that Iraola's system has looked like a 4-4-2 at times, you could perhaps include Florian Wirtz and Harvey Elliott in the attacking group, with the number 10 very advanced, especially in the press.
Even then, though, Liverpool has seven senior options for four positions. It simply isn't enough with so many games to come and the expectation of the Reds challenging on multiple fronts.
Cody Gakpo of Liverpool
Cody Gakpo of Liverpool(Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Liverpool remains very keen on signing Bradley Barcola from PSG. He would add a substantial amount of quality in the final third, and if the Frenchman is eventually snapped up, that could pave the way for a short-term Ekitike fix.
If Barcola arrives, he will join Ngumoha and Munoz as pacy wide forwards. Gakpo, meanwhile, is a good goalscorer, but might actually fit better elsewhere in the Liverpool system under the new head coach.
For the Netherlands, Gakpo has successfully played a central role in the past. While it is not perfect for him, he could fit in either as a number nine or a number 10 in this new-look, front-footed set-up.
If Gakpo were to play both of those central roles, he would effectively be the Ekitike cover — a better option than Chiesa down the center, albeit not the absolute dream option.
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Ultimately, Liverpool spending big on another number nine to fill the Ekitike gap feels impossible given that when the 24-year-old comes back, he will expect minutes.
But Gakpo could do the job to a reasonable level in the meantime, with others better suited to offering width and quality on the flanks, as long as there are sufficient numbers of bodies by the September 1 transfer deadline.
Amid growing speculation that Gakpo could be the subject of strong interest from Tottenham, the Netherlands ace will meet Iraola this week for the first time since the Spaniard took over.
Right now, with the limited number of options that Liverpool has in forward areas, losing Gakpo would be a non-starter. In place of Ekitike, that might be the role he is most useful in for the time being.