Aston Villa has reached an agreement to sign striker Evann Guessand from Nice for a total fee of £30 million, which includes £26 million upfront and an additional £4.3 million in potential add-ons. The 24-year-old Ivory Coast international had an impressive season, scoring 12 goals and earning the title of Player of the Season as Nice finished fourth in Ligue 1.

Guessand is expected to undergo a medical examination with Villa on Wednesday. His arrival is poised to bolster Villa's attacking options after the departure of Jhon Duran to Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr left the club with only Ollie Watkins as their primary striker. Although Marcus Rashford had a loan spell at Villa last season, he has since moved to Barcelona, further emphasizing the need for Villa to strengthen their forward line.

Having risen through the youth ranks at Nice, Guessand debuted for the Ivory Coast national team in June 2024 and has accumulated nine caps thus far. He represents Villa's first major signing of the summer, following earlier additions such as Yasin Ozcan, who has been loaned to Anderlecht, and backup goalkeeper Marco Bizot, who joined from Brest for an undisclosed fee.

Aston Villa, which finished sixth last season to secure a spot in the Europa League, will kick off their Premier League campaign against Newcastle United at home on August 16. With Guessand's talent and scoring ability, he is expected to play a vital role in Villa's ambitions for the upcoming season.