Aston Villa have signed Ivorian forward Evann Guessand from Ligue 1 side Nice.
The 24-year-old becomes Unai Emery’s fifth signing of the summer window, joining the Midlands club after a breakthrough season in Ligue 1.
Guessand: I knew Emery is the right coach for me
“I was watching the games of Aston Villa in the last seasons, and after that we started talking with the coach [Emery],” Guessand said in his first interview with the club.
“To be honest, our talks were the main point, because he really is the person who convinced me to come here, and of course we know the career of this coach.
“A long time ago, I saw him in the French league, and he’s known for the way he used to improve the players he used to work with, so I was thinking about this.
“I’m a young player and I want to improve. I have many qualities that can improve, so when I spoke with the coach, I (knew) this is the right coach for me to become better and better.”
Guessand’s career so far
Born in Ajaccio, France, Guessand joined Nice's youth academy at the age of 12.
He made his senior debut in the Coupe de France (the French Cup) in January 2020, followed by his Ligue 1 debut in August the same year against RC Lens.
The 6ft 2in forward spent the 2020/21 season on loan at Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland before returning to Nice.
The 2021/22 campaign saw limited success, with one goal and three assists in 20 league appearances with Nice.
A loan move to Nantes followed in 2022/23, where he contributed three goals and two assists across 30 league matches.
Returning to Nice for 2023/24, Guessand’s form remained inconsistent.
However, under coach Franck Haise in the 2024/25 season, he was moved to the wing and enjoyed a resurgence in form, as he finished the season with 12 goals and nine assists in 33 Ligue 1 matches and was named Nice's Player of the Season.
In total, Guessand played 109 times in all competitions for Nice, scoring 21 and assisting 15.
Internationally, Guessand represented France at youth level before switching allegiance to the Ivory Coast, where he has been capped 10 times at senior level.
When could Guessand make his debut for Aston Villa?
Guessand could feature for Villa in their Premier League season opener on 16 August when they host Newcastle United.