- Crystal Palace signed Evann Guessand on loan
- Aston Villa loanee is injured
- Eagles make decision over permanent signing
Crystal Palace have reportedly decided to sign Evann Guessand when his loan expires at the end of the season. The Ivorian has spent the second half of the campaign at Selhurst Park.
Guessand joined Palace on loan from Aston Villa in January and has become an important player for Oliver Glasner. He has appeared 11 times across competitions, registering two goals and one assist.
The loan agreement included a clause that would make it a permanent move should a set number of appearances be reached. But an injury suffered last week appeared to jeopardise the chances of this happening with Glasner claiming he’ll be out for 3-4 weeks.
Palace Want Guessand Permanently
According to Alan Nixon on his Patreon, even if this condition isn’t met, the plan is to sign Guessand permanently. There’s no word on the price that Palace are willing to pay for the 24-year-old, who only joined Villa last summer.
The Eagles will be conducting this summer’s transfer business for a new manager as Glasner departs in June when his contract expires. But the Ivorian has clearly done enough to impress those upstairs and earn a permanent switch to Selhurst Park.
Guessand endured a difficult start to the season at Villa, unable to win Unai Emery over. He made 21 appearances for the Villans, managing two goals.
Well Deserved
Not much was expected of Guessand when he arrived on loan from Villa in January. His brief, unconvincing period at Villa Park led Emery to quickly agree to part ways, albeit temporarily.
But even without being the most prolific in front of goal, the Ivory Coast international has made an impact. He’s linked up well with his fellow attackers, shown a real desire to help Palace end the season successfully and has the right mentality.
Guessand even earned a starting berth on the left in Glasner’s team before his injury. He’s unfortunate to be missing the next few weeks, given he’ll probably not be in action in the UEFA Conference League semi-finals.
But should the South Londoners defeat Shakhtar Donetsk over two legs, they will reach the final in Leipzig. It is likely he’ll be back in time for that potential game as well as the final few weeks of the Premier League campaign.
Guessand’s permanent acquisition also allows the transfer chiefs to address other areas of the squad without having to target another attacker and potentially take a risk. At least one new central midfielder should be a priority ahead of Daichi Kamada’s exit in June when his contract is up.
