Evann Guessand will travel tomorrow ahead of undergoing his medical with Aston Villa
Ivory Coast international Evann Guessand
Ivory Coast international Evann Guessand(Image: Getty Images)
Aston Villa are expected to sign Evann Guessand from Nice in a deal worth around £30m.
The Ivory Coast international has been the subject of plenty of interest from clubs in Europe, the Premier League, and even Saudi Arabia.
Villa now appear to have won the race for the forward as they close in on his signing on a long-term deal.
BirminghamLive understands that the 24-year-old will travel tomorrow ahead of undergoing his medical.
Guessand has room for growth and will have been targeted by Unai Emery for his ability to play across the frontline.
However, he is neither a classic number nine nor a winger; more so, an ‘inside forward’ describes his profile best.
In that sense, Guessand could be compared to Marcus Rashford, in that he won’t stay between the posts or hug the flank.
Guessand is nearly six foot two, strong and quick, but also agile, allowing him to ride challenges, hold off markers, and drive up the pitch with his impressive ability to carry the ball.
He has an eye for goal too, having bagged 12 times in Ligue 1 last term, while he also recorded nine assists for his teammates.
An overlapping full-back helps Guessand occupy space inside the pitch, but the vast majority of goals he has scored in his career have come inside the box.
However, his game isn’t about picking up the pieces in the box — even though he clearly has goalscoring instincts — and he sometimes likes to drop deeper to collect possession.
He drew the second-most fouls (64) in Ligue 1 last season and also registered the eighth-most goal-creating actions (17). For comparison, Morgan Rogers created 16 in the Premier League last term.
Out of possession, Guessand excels when compared to other forwards. He features in the top 10th percentile for tackles, interceptions, and blocks compared to other forwards in Europe’s top five leagues over the last campaign.
Guessand’s versatility in attack will be a big bonus for Emery, who has often lauded the likes of Rogers and John McGinn for having that specific ability.
“I was trained as a winger, and even when I went to the national team, I played as a winger,” he said a couple of years ago. “Then I grew physically, getting taller, so they put me in the centre.
“At Nantes, I played most of the season on the right flank, so yes, I'm less of a 'nine' than some. I can play in all attacking positions. Away to Lorient I played up front, against Lille on the flank. I like to play in all attacking positions."
Guessand came through the youth ranks at Nice before spending time out on loan at FC Lausanne-Sport and then Nantes in 2022/23.
He scored three goals and made another five during his time at Nantes, and then bagged six times in 2023/24 back at Nice.
Last season, however, he broke out as one of the most exciting attackers in French football.
For his nation, Ivory Coast, Guessand has played 10 times and scored once.
Guessand would likely miss several games in December and into January if he signs for Villa and represents Ivory Coast at AFCON.