Evann Guessand on the Verge of Signing for Aston Villa
Aston Villa are reportedly on the verge of signing OGC Nice forward Evann Guessand in a deal worth €30 million plus €5 million in add-ons, with a medical authorised by his current club and expected imminently. The 24-year-old’s impending move to Villa Park comes after interest over the past few months from clubs including Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, Wolves, Brighton and Turkish giants Fenerbahçe.
So who is Evann Guessand — and more importantly, where does he fit into Unai Emery’s Villa system?
A Versatile Attacker With Underrated Output
First of all, it’s important to clear up any confusion that the Ivory Coast international would be brought in as an advance replacement for Ollie Watkins. Despite the churn of media muppet-esque rumours on Watkins, in terms of PSR and UEFA wage ratio concerns, file this one under Jhon Duran replacement (after Marcus Rashford’s loan) or coming in for a potential outbound Leon Bailey.
The appeal of Guessand to Unai Emery is the fact he can play across the frontline. Good at attacking the space between full-backs and centre-backs, pulling defenders out, or linking play centrally as a dropped forward, his tendency at Nice to play centrally or off the right suggests he could be utilised in a front three, or as a potential partner to Watkins in a two— that elusive combination that Emery has sought for a while now, after failing to bed in Danny Ings or Jhon Duran into a partnership with Watkins.
Standing at 6’1”, Guessand is of the ‘good touch for a big man’ mould, also good in the air. While not prolific as a striker, his 12 league goals and eight assists of last season suggest progress, and the kind of all-round contribution he could bring to Villa’s attack.
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Guessand Strengths:
Versatility – Can play wide or centrally — ideal for Emery’s fluid front line.
Finishing – Efficient with chances, especially inside the box.
Pressing and Work Rate – Well suited to Emery’s high-intensity setup.
Runs in Behind – Intelligent movement between defenders, especially on the counter.
Link-up Play – Good at creating overloads and giving full-backs options.
Guessand Concerns
Lack of Villa Preseason – Patience maybe needed initially in terms of the player acclimatising to the Villa squad and the Premier League, as he will potentially only have one pre-season game to play in (either Villareal or Marseille). Unfortunately, he’s missed the squad bonding USA Tour.
Afcon – Having made his Ivory Coast international debut in June 2024, Villa may be without him over the Christmas and New Year period due to the Afcon in Morocco – from 21 December 2024 to 18 January 2026 – which he would be expected to add to his nine caps in.
Summary
Finally, Evann Guessand looks to be a player in that Villa won’t suddenly loan out in a couple of weeks’ time. Guessand is not just a back-up striker. His arrival offers Unai Emery flexibility, tactical versatility, and a new profile in the final third. Not to mention depth for the Europa League. Villa may be paying for potential as much as previous output, but in Guessand they’ve got a seemingly smart, multifunctional forward who could displace Bailey, complement Watkins, or allow Emery to reshape his attacking transitions entirely.
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