Crystal Palace have decided against triggering their £28million option to sign Evann Guessand permanently from Aston Villa.
The Ivory Coast international is now expected to return to Villa for pre-season and compete for a place under Unai Emery.
Guessand joined Palace on a six-month loan in January after struggling to establish himself during his opening months at Villa Park.
He proved useful as Palace balanced Premier League and Conference League commitments, but a knee injury disrupted the second half of his loan.
The 25-year-old struggled to regain his place after returning and played only 10 minutes as Palace beat Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final.
Standard Sport reports that Guessand was open to staying at Selhurst Park, but Pierre Sage has chosen to pursue other attacking targets.
Palace can use £28m more effectively
Palace’s decision is understandable despite Guessand making a positive contribution during parts of his loan.
A £28m commitment would have represented a significant investment in a player who did not establish himself as a guaranteed starter under Oliver Glasner.
His injury also limited Palace’s opportunity to assess him over a sustained period.
ReadCrystalPalace previously reported that Palace had lost control of Guessand’s future after allowing the purchase clause to expire. Sage has now made the final decision not to revive negotiations.
The new manager already has Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jørgen Strand Larsen among his central options. Palace may instead look for another versatile attacker capable of operating behind the striker or from a wider position.
Guessand’s return could also help Villa following the departures of several attacking players. Emery admitted in January that he had not initially wanted the forward to leave.
Palace received useful depth from Guessand during a demanding period and he leaves with a European winner’s medal.
However, passing on the £28m option preserves a substantial part of Sage’s transfer budget as he begins reshaping the squad around his own plans.
