Liverpool fans have demanded Jurgen Klopp start 18-year-old prospect Jayden Danns over Darwin Nunez.
Nunez, 24, endured one of the worst performances of his time at Anfield when the Reds’ were hammered 3-0 at home by Atalanta in the first-leg of their Europa League quarter-final. The Uruguayan missed chance after chance against the Serie A side, who were ruthless at the other end of the pitch.
Consistency has always deserted the dynamic forward, who was signed from Benfica in the summer of 2022 for a club record £85million. After Danns’ scored a beauty in an academy victory over Manchester United, Liverpool fans demanded the youngster to be promoted to the first team for their vital Premier League clash against Crystal Palace.
Danns deftly controlled a driven cross, held off two United defenders and nonchalantly back-heeled the ball into the bottom corner. Neither the defenders nor the goalkeeper came close to stopping his moment of genius.
After watching his fine individual goal, many Liverpool fans called for him to be given the nod against Oliver Glasner’s side. One fan wrote: “This boy should play ahead of Nunez. He’s damn too good for the U21s.”
A second wrote: “Meanwhile, Nunez misses open goals at Old Trafford. A third added: “He’s better than all our 1st team strikers. Give him a game against Palace.” A particularly excited fourth also added: “Nunez is not even close to this kid in terms of quality” before a fifth said: “Nunez would have fell over his own feet.”
While many fans were comparing him to Nunez, others believe he was more similar to a former Reds’ hero. “Jayden Danns reminds me of Firmino with some of the stuff he does” one fan wrote.
Another said: “Someone was learning a lot from a certain Bobby Firmino. Wow, I like this kid, a lot.” Danns was one of the many youngsters to be brought on against Chelsea in the League Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.
He has also come off the bench in the Premier League against Luton Town and Nottingham Forest, but only played a combined seven minutes over the course of those clashes.
