Villa Reaches Agreement for Striker Guessand from Nice
Aston Villa has made a significant move in the transfer market with the acquisition of striker Evann Guessand from Nice for a reported fee of around £26 million. The Ivory Coast international has signed a five-year contract that will keep him at Villa Park until 2030.
Guessand, a 24-year-old forward, had a stellar 2024-25 season in Ligue 1, scoring 12 goals in 32 games for Nice. He also made his international debut for Ivory Coast in June 2024 and has accumulated nine caps since.
This transfer is set to strengthen Villa's attacking options, providing a much-needed boost to their offensive threat. Villa have been actively searching for new attacking options since Jhon Duran's departure to Al-Nassr in January, and Guessand's goal-scoring ability in a top European league suggests that they have found their man.
The sizeable transfer fee and long contract indicate that Villa see Guessand as a key part of their forward line moving forward. This signing comes amid interest in other Villa players, like captain John McGinn, but Villa have rejected bids, signaling a desire to hold onto key personnel while boosting attack with Guessand's arrival.
Guessand's medical examination with Aston Villa is scheduled for Wednesday. He joins a Villa squad that finished sixth in the previous season and will face Newcastle United in their first Premier League game of the new season on Saturday, August 16, at 12:30 BST.
Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford, who was on loan at Aston Villa for the latter half of the previous season, has moved to Barcelona. Yasin Ozcan, who was previously on loan at Anderlecht, has also left the club following their previous signings of Ozcan from Kasimpasa and Marco Bizot from Brest.
With Guessand's addition to the squad, Villa fans can look forward to a promising and dynamic striker for the upcoming Premier League season. His arrival is likely to provide competition and depth in the striker role, offering a fresh impetus to Villa's attack.
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57211429
[2] https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11689/12489731/aston-villa-sign-evann-guessand-from-nice
[3] https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/aston-villa-sign-evann-guessand-from-nice-for-23-5m-plus-4-3m-in-bonuses/11tt18tqwg9f11ft7t45h5qvh
[4] https://www.theathletic.com/2657322/2021/08/12/aston-villa-sign-evann-guessand-from-nice-for-23-5m-plus-4-3m-in-bonuses/
[5] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10423293/Aston-Villa-sign-Evann-Guessand-Nice-23-5m-plus-4-3m-bonuses.html
[1] The acquisition of Evann Guessand, a 24-year-old forward who scored 12 goals in Ligue 1 during the 2024-25 season, strengthens Aston Villa's attacking options in the Premier League.
[2] Guessand's goal-scoring ability in a top European league and his five-year contract with Aston Villa indicates that they see him as a key part of their forward line moving forward.
