Latest Liverpool news as a former Reds star backs a current player for an award. Jürgen Klopp has also made a promise to Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch.
Liverpool faces Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-final first leg at Anfield on Thursday night. The Reds will be eager for a response following Sunday’s draw against Manchester United.
Jürgen Klopp’s squad has been boosted by the return to training of four injured players this week, including vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold. Here’s your round-up of the latest Liverpool news.
Reds ace gets Player of Year backing
Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has tipped Darwin Núñez as his surprise pick to win the PFA Player of the Year award. The Uruguayan has scored 18 times and provided a further 13 assists in all competitions this season.
The individual honor is often won by a player from the Premier League champions, with Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah likely to be in contention if Liverpool does go on to win the title.
Manchester City duo Rodri and Phil Foden are also likely to be in contention, alongside Arsenal’s Declan Rice, but Johnson believes Núñez should be in the running. He told Squawka:
“People were saying that he doesn’t score enough goals, but when you think about the way that he plays, he’s probably the last person that you want to play against in the Premier League and that’s saying something with the other players that are available.
“I’d probably go with a surprise, someone like Nunez because he’d probably be the first striker, other than Haaland, that I’d want in my team.”
Klopp makes Gravenberch promise
Jürgen Klopp insists Ryan Gravenberch will play a key part in the run-in after a mixed debut season at Anfield. The Dutchman arrived in a $50m (£40m/€47m) deal from Bayern Munich in the summer and has shown flashes of his undoubted talents.
He returned from injury in the recent win over Brighton and then started against Sheffield United last week. But he was withdrawn after an hour as Liverpool mounted a comeback before being an unused substitute at Old Trafford.
But Klopp maintains the 21-year-old will have a big role to play in the run-in. Speaking in his press conference ahead of the match with Atalanta, the Reds boss said: “Ryan played for us super-important games. He got injured in bad moments where he could get some rhythm.
“He is an incredibly talented player, crazy first touch and movements, acceleration. It is all fantastic. We have a really good midfield together and he will get more and more minutes, 100 per cent and it will go his way.”
