Aston Villa sign Evann Guessand for £30.3m: Decoding his stats
What's the story
Aston Villa have bolstered their squad by signing Ivorian striker Evann Guessand from French side OGC Nice. The transfer is worth £30.3 million. As per BBC Sport, it includes an initial fee of £26 million and add-ons worth up to £4.3 million. The 24-year-old forward had a stellar season with Nice last term, scoring 12 goals and being named the club's Player of the Season as they finished fourth in Ligue 1. Here's more.
Player profile
Guessand's versatility and defensive contributions
Guessand's addition comes as a major boost for Unai Emery, who was looking to strengthen his attacking options after the exit of loanees Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio. The Ivorian international can play across the front line and even in a number 10 role. He has also shown his ability to contribute defensively by winning duels and regaining possession, especially in the opposition third.
Player reaction
'I'm ready to give my all'
Upon joining Aston Villa, Guessand said he was ready to give his all for the club. He added, "When I heard the club wanted me I didn't think twice. I'm ready to give my all. Every game, every kick, every minute." His arrival is Villa's second first-team signing of the summer after goalkeeper Marco Bizot from French club Brest.
Transfer challenges
Villa navigate challenges in summer transfer window
Aston Villa's summer transfer window has been affected by the club's need to comply with Premier League and UEFA financial regulations. Earlier this summer, the club was fined £9.5 million by UEFA for breaching squad cost ratio rules. An additional £12.9 million fine is conditional on compliance over a three-year period, further complicating their transfer activities.
Career
A look at the player's career stats
Guessand made a total of 108 appearances for Nice, scoring 21 goals in all competitions. In the 2024-25 season, he made 41 appearances in all competitions and hammered 13 goals. 89 of his appearances for the club came in Ligue 1. He managed 19 goals in total, including 12 last term. In 2020-21, he was on loan at Swiss side Lausanne-Sport. He scored 7 goals in 35 matches. In 2022-23, he was on loan at Ligue 1 side Nantes. He clocked six goals in 45 matches.
Ligue 1 2024-25
Breaking down his Ligue 1 2024-25 season in stats
Guessand made 33 appearances in Ligue 1 last season. He was involved in 20 league goals (G12 A8). As per Squawka Comparison Matrix (data by Opta), Guessand clocked 44 shots (excluding blocks) with 27 of them on target. He owned a passing accuracy of 77.2%. The player managed 9 through balls and completed 16 lay-offs. He also completed 49 take-ons. He won 183 duels and had 151 touches in the opposition box.
Twitter Post
Interview!
Evann's first interview as a Villan 🟣
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 8, 2025
Available now on VillaTV 📺