Why Evann Guessand chose Aston Villa over rival clubs | OneFootball

Evann Guessand (24) is a step away from joining Aston Villa from OGC Nice after the two clubs reached an agreement for €35m.

His transfer away from the south of France had long been expected, and Get French Football News understands that Nice had been looking to sell this summer, to bring in funds to better strengthen the squad this summer. However, what was not expected was that it would be Aston Villa who won the race for the forward.

As L’Équipe reports, Guessand had been heavily courted by Crystal Palace and Saudi Arabian side Neom SC this summer, while in recent days, Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Villarreal, and Real Sociedad had all joined the race.

At one point, Neom and Crystal Palace had looked the closest to winning his signature. Neom could match Nice’s asking price of €35m and offered him a 4-year contract worth €8.6m net per year, but were unable to match his sporting ambition, while Crystal Palace could only offer Nice €25m.

Aston Villa reportedly made contact last weekend and were able to win over Guessand following a conversation between head coach Unai Emery and the player. Emery explained how he planned to use the forward, and that the club had watched him 32 times.

Crystal Palace had plotted one last attempt to steal back the Ivorian international, but by that point, it was too late, and his mind was fully set on joining Aston Villa.

GFFN | Nick Hartland