By Martin Graham
Aston Villa have reached an agreement to bring in striker Evann Guessand from Nice for an initial £26 million, with an additional £4.3 million linked to performance-related bonuses.
The 24-year-old, who represents Ivory Coast at the international level, hit the net 12 times during the previous campaign. His contributions earned him the club’s player of the season honor as Nice secured a fourth-place finish in France’s top division.
Guessand is scheduled to undergo medical checks on Wednesday ahead of finalizing the switch. He had also attracted interest from Crystal Palace, but Villa acted quickly to secure his signature.
This move marks Villa’s first major acquisition of the current transfer window. Prior to Guessand, they brought in Yasin Ozcan from Kasimpasa – who was subsequently loaned out to Anderlecht – and goalkeeper Marco Bizot from Brest, whose fee has not been revealed.
Response to striker shortage and season outlook
The West Midlands club have been seeking additional options up front since the January sale of Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. That departure left Ollie Watkins as the only experienced center forward in the squad.
Marcus Rashford had joined on a temporary basis for the second part of the season but has since completed a transfer to Barcelona, leaving a gap in attacking depth that Guessand is expected to help fill.
A product of Nice’s youth academy, Guessand committed to a four-year deal with the French side last summer. He has since broken into his national team, making his debut for Ivory Coast in June 2024 and accumulating nine caps.
Villa concluded last season in sixth position, earning a spot in the Europa League. They will kick off the new Premier League campaign at home against Newcastle United on Saturday, 16 August at 12:30 BST.
