Sign Darwin! Chelsea Told Nunez Could Be Another Dennis Bergkamp as Blues Legend Talks Up Transfer

Sign Darwin: Why Chelsea Are Being Urged to See Nunez as the Next Dennis Bergkamp

Every transfer window needs a bold idea. Not a safe one. Not a spreadsheet-approved, low-risk profile. A bold one.

And this might be it.

Marcel Desailly has urged Chelsea to take a serious look at Darwin Nunez — and not as a squad option or rotation piece, but as a striker who could rediscover himself in the right environment.

In fact, Desailly went further. He invoked the name of Dennis Bergkamp.

It’s not a lazy comparison built on style alone. It’s about trajectory. About a gifted forward who stumbled in one league before rewriting his story in another.

Bold? Absolutely.

Impossible? Not necessarily.

From Liverpool Title Winner to Saudi Reset

Let’s start with the facts.

Nunez is not some unproven gamble. He left Liverpool with a Premier League winner’s medal after playing his part in their 2024-25 title triumph. Across 143 appearances in all competitions, he scored 40 goals — a respectable return, even if it never quite silenced his critics.

The £64 million move from Benfica always carried weight. Big fee. Big expectations. And from his first few touches at Anfield, the scrutiny followed him like a shadow.

There were flashes — breathtaking pace, chaotic runs that tore defences apart, moments of ruthless finishing. But there were also missed chances, heavy touches, and stretches where confidence drained visibly from his game.

Eventually, he slipped down the pecking order. A move to Al-Hilal offered a reset. Six goals in 16 games is hardly disastrous. But at 26, Nunez is not ready to fade quietly into the Saudi Pro League spotlight.

He wants Europe again.

And Desailly thinks Chelsea should be listening.

Darwin Nunez Liverpool 2025

The Bergkamp Parallel

When Bergkamp left Inter Milan in 1995, many in Italy viewed him as a disappointment. He had arrived with huge expectations and departed under a cloud of inconsistency.

Then he joined Arsenal.

What followed is Premier League folklore — the ice-cold control, the impossible touches, the goals that defined eras. Bergkamp became central to Arsenal’s identity, culminating in the 2003-04 ‘Invincibles’ season.

Desailly sees something familiar in Nunez’s journey.

“When you start on a bad note, the confidence disappears,” he explained. “It’s like Dennis Bergkamp going to Inter Milan — things went completely wrong.”

The point is not that Nunez plays like Bergkamp. He doesn’t. The Uruguayan is more explosive, less cerebral in style. The comparison is about redemption.

Talent misaligned with context.

Confidence: The Missing Ingredient

Desailly’s argument hinges on psychology.

“At Liverpool, the confidence wasn’t there,” he said. “But the quality is still there.”

It’s difficult to disagree. Nunez’s underlying attributes remain elite. His movement in behind is relentless. His physicality unsettles centre-backs. His work rate, when confident, is impressive.

But forwards operate on fragile margins. One missed chance becomes two. Two become a headline. Soon, hesitation creeps in.

Desailly even referenced Roberto Carlos, recalling early career struggles before greatness took hold.

The implication is clear: talent does not vanish. It waits for the right ecosystem.

Why Chelsea?

So why Chelsea?

Under Liam Rosenior, the Blues are rebuilding with structure and ambition. They sit fifth in the Premier League, just three points behind Manchester United, and remain alive in both the Champions League and FA Cup.

The project is young but promising.

Desailly believes Nunez would benefit from being surrounded by “established, confident players who know they’re going to play every weekend.”

In other words: stability.

He highlighted a subtle but important detail — service timing.

“When he makes a run, he needs to get the ball immediately,” Desailly explained. “Otherwise he loses confidence quickly.”

It’s a fascinating observation. Strikers thrive on rhythm. A delayed pass breaks momentum. A missed early release chips away at belief.

Chelsea, with the right creative support, could provide that immediacy.

Chelsea v Bournemouth – Premier League

The Cole Palmer Factor

Imagine Nunez feeding off Cole Palmer.

Palmer’s vision and willingness to play first-time passes could align perfectly with Nunez’s instinctive runs. The England international has become Chelsea’s creative heartbeat, capable of unlocking tight spaces and accelerating transitions.

However, Palmer’s own future has been the subject of speculation, with murmurs of a potential return to Manchester circulating.

Desailly addressed that uncertainty with characteristic pragmatism.

“Chelsea will qualify for the Champions League,” he said confidently. “But even if not — fans are educated differently now. It’s about the club, not any one player.”

It’s a modern truth. Players are assets. Contracts are leverage. Clubs evolve.

If Palmer stays, Nunez gains a provider. If Palmer leaves, Chelsea reinvest. The structure remains.

Risk Versus Reward

Of course, signing Nunez would not be risk-free.

He is streaky. Emotional. Occasionally erratic. But sometimes that chaos is precisely what unsettles defences.

Chelsea have lacked a consistently dominant No.9 in recent seasons. The right striker could elevate them from hopeful contenders to serious challengers.

Desailly sees Nunez not as a gamble, but as an undervalued asset.

“He’s still young enough,” he emphasised.

At 26, there is time for reinvention. Time to sharpen decision-making. Time to restore swagger.

The Bigger Picture

Chelsea’s ambitions extend beyond top four. They are in the Champions League last 16 and preparing for an FA Cup tie against Wrexham, owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney — a fixture dripping with narrative intrigue.

The squad is evolving. The identity is forming. Adding a striker with something to prove could inject edge.

Football history is full of players who needed one failed chapter to ignite the next.

Bergkamp did.

Perhaps Nunez could.

Sign Darwin?

It’s easy to scoff at comparisons. Easy to focus on missed chances rather than underlying quality.

But transfers are often about context. About environment. About belief.

Marcel Desailly’s message was not romantic. It was practical: put Darwin Nunez in a system that feeds his strengths, surround him with confident teammates, give him the ball early, and watch what happens.

Chelsea must decide whether they see the risk — or the opportunity.

If they choose boldly, they might just discover that redemption stories can be as powerful as first impressions.

And sometimes, the striker who struggled elsewhere becomes the one who defines your era.