Aston Villa complete £30m Guessand deal

Aston Villa have signed forward Evann Guessand from Nice in a deal reportedly worth an initial £26m (€30m) plus £4m in add-ons.

Guessand is the second addition to Villa’s squad for the 2025-26 season, after goalkeeper Marco Bizot joined from Ligue 1 club Brest to serve as backup to Emiliano Martinez.

Centre-back Yasin Ozcan was also signed from Kasimpasa, only to immediately head out on loan to Anderlecht.

Guessand, who plays primarily on the right wing but has also featured as a central striker, was previously linked with FA Cup winners Crystal Palace.

He will fill the void in Villa’s squad left by the departures of loanees Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio, after Unai Emery’s men rejected the chance to make their stays permanent at the end of last season.

Bienvenue, Evann

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 8, 2025

The 24-year-old Ivory Coast international has reportedly penned a five-year deal with Villa, though the club did not initially reveal details of his contract.

Guessand scored 12 goals in Ligue 1 as Nice finished fourth to qualify for the Europa League, a competition Villa will also feature in after missing out on the Premier League’s top five last term.

Guessand’s first competitive outing for Villa could come in their Premier League opener against Newcastle United on August 16, though they also have friendlies against Marseille and Villarreal before then.