Former Chelsea and France defender Marcel Desailly has called on incoming head coach Xabi Alonso to target Darwin Nunez as a priority summer signing — insisting the Uruguayan striker only needs "confidence and belief" to fulfil his potential.

Chelsea's rocky road back to the top

The club endured another difficult campaign last season, finishing tenth in the Premier League after the decision to replace Enzo Maresca with Liam Rosenior produced no improvement. The hope now at Stamford Bridge is that Alonso's appointment will reignite their push for a Champions League place.

Desailly, who spent six years at Chelsea following his move from AC Milan in 1998, keeps a close watch on his former side and believes the club and Nunez are a natural fit — despite the striker's turbulent spell at Liverpool.

Nunez's troubled Liverpool years

Nunez arrived at Anfield from Benfica in 2022 in a deal worth up to €100 million, carrying enormous expectations. Over three seasons on Merseyside, however, his form proved erratic — capable of scoring spectacular goals that few others would have attempted, yet equally capable of spurning chances that most top strikers would convert.

Liverpool's decision-makers eventually chose to move him on, with Nunez joining Saudi side Al-Hilal last summer.

Desailly: Chelsea can unlock Nunez

Speaking to Betway, Desailly argued that the Liverpool environment itself held Nunez back. "A player who could suit the profile is former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez," the World Cup winner said. "If you give him the confidence and belief, he will not feel shy because the people in the system are a higher grade than him."

"That is what happened to him at Liverpool. There were too many players higher grade than him, so he couldn't express himself. At Chelsea, I'm sure he would express himself and perform."

Whether Chelsea — a club not historically associated with low-pressure environments — can provide the platform Nunez apparently needs remains an open question as Alonso prepares to take charge.