‘Long-Standing Target’ for Aston Villa ‘Authorised to Travel’ After Player Gives Green Light

Last year was always going to be difficult for Aston Villa, juggling Champions League football (for the first time since the early 1980s) with a tough Premier League campaign. However, they still managed to finish in sixth place, securing Europa League football for this season. They will now want to strengthen depth for the upcoming campaign; Aston Villa have reached an agreement for Evann Guessand.

Aston Villa’s Long-Standing Target Authorised to Travel With Medical Set

£30 Million Deal Agreed

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Villa have reached an agreement with OGC Nice for Guessand. The deal is set at around £26 million, with an extra £4 million in add-ons. The journalist gives his famous Here We Go, as the Ivorian is “authorised to travel” to complete his medical and contract signing. Romano had previously disclosed that the player had “said yes” with contract details being finalised.

Jacob Tanswell, of The Athletic, reports that the 24-year-old is a “long-standing target” of the Villans: in January, he featured on a list of young forward players that they wanted to sign. He also reveals that there was “competition” for the player’s signature. Villa have been “keen to strengthen” their frontline this window, but have only made one permanent signing so far (a back-up goalkeeper in Marco Bizot). This is linked to the Profitability and Sustainability regulations as well as UEFA squad costs.

Evann Guessand the Perfect Profile to Help Aston Villa

The club sold Jhon Duran in the winter transfer window, and whilst this brought in a huge influx of cash, it also left them a bit short on the striker front. Duran had been notorious for providing great cover for Ollie Watkins: the sight of him coming off the bench led many to predict a goal every time.

Guessand is a natural striker, which helps this cause massively. He is also a very dynamic forward, and can play on either wing or even as a central ten. According to Tanswell, this “would match the criteria of striker that Villa are looking for”. Perhaps this is due to the fluidity of Emery’s wide players: they are often capable of playing central or on the flank. Think of Morgan Rogers, John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey, Donyell Malen, or even loanes in Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio.

It is likely that Guessand won’t be shoe-horned into one position, but rather utilised across the attack, as other players are in this system. This can be very useful in changing tactics mid-game, with players swapping positions to confuse the opposition, or even over the course of a season to accompany other profiles.