Crystal Palace have reached an agreement to bring Aston Villa attacker Evann Guessand to Selhurst Park on loan until the end of the campaign, with an option to make the move permanent, according to Fabrizio Romano.
It has already been a lively window for the Eagles. Club captain Marc Guehi has departed, while Brennan Johnson has arrived to bolster the forward line. Palace are also braced for the possible exit of Jean-Philippe Mateta before the deadline after the striker made it clear he is open to a new challenge.
Despite those changes, Palace have continued to push on in the market to ensure Oliver Glasner has enough quality at his disposal for the second half of the season, even with the head coach set to leave in the summer. Another attacking addition has now been lined up.
Palace step up transfer business
The south London club agreed a £50 million deal on Thursday morning to land Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen and have quickly followed that up. Romano reports that Palace have now secured a loan move for Guessand from Aston Villa, with the Ivorian forward having already given the green light. The final paperwork between the two clubs is being completed ahead of the official announcement.
Guessand, who joined Villa only last summer, made his name at OGC Nice and was previously labelled as an elite prospect. Under Unai Emery, however, he has often been used out wide rather than through the middle. That role limited his output, with two goals in 21 appearances and just six Premier League starts without finding the net.
A fresh chance in south London
The 22-year-old now heads to Palace where he will compete for minutes alongside Yeremy Pino, Brennan Johnson, Ismaila Sarr, Eddie Nketiah and Strand Larsen. There is also still uncertainty surrounding Mateta’s future, meaning Guessand could have a genuine opportunity to carve out a key role.
Glasner has been vocal about the need for attacking reinforcements, and the club hierarchy have responded despite his contract expiring at the end of the season. While there are still concerns at the back, Palace’s biggest problem has been scoring goals. The reshaped forward line gives the Austrian coach far more options to address that issue.
After lifting the FA Cup last season, Glasner is keen to bow out on a positive note. The arrivals of Guessand and Strand Larsen could prove vital in helping Palace finish the campaign strongly.