Aston Villa has officially signed striker Evann Guessand from the French club Nice for £26m plus £4.3m in add-ons.
Guessand is the second major player Aston Villa has signed this summer, after bringing in goalkeeper Marco Bizot from the French team Brest.
After the deal was finalized, Guessand expressed, "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," as per BBC Sports.
Guessand has been gradually improving as a football player over the past few years.
Although his earlier performances were not very strong, he made a major progress during the 2024-25 season under the guidance of NIce's manager Franck Haise.
Last season, the 24-year-old player scored 12 goals and was chosen as Nice's best player.
Guessand has shown he is fast and good at dribbling past defenders when playing on the right side of the pitch.
He has also become much better at scoring goals when playing in the central striker position.
His heading ability is getting better, although it’s still not one of his top strengths yet.
Guessand's way of playing and his Ivorian nationality have naturally led people to compare him with Didier Drogba, a legendary striker from Ivory Coast.
