Crystal Palace in Talks to Reunite with Evann Guessand on Loan

Crystal Palace are in talks to bring Evann Guessand back to Selhurst Park on a season-long loan from Aston Villa, a swift attempt to reunite with a forward who only began to show his Premier League teeth once he arrived in south London.

The 25-year-old Ivory Coast international endured a flat start to life at Villa Park after his £26m move last August, scoring just two goals in 21 appearances across all competitions. For a club pushing on multiple fronts and a player arriving with a sizeable price tag, it never quite caught fire.

The change came in January. Palace stepped in, took him on loan, and watched him finally land his first Premier League goal in a tight 1-0 win over Wolves. It was a small moment on the scoreboard, but a significant one for a forward searching for a foothold in England.

His spring in red and blue brought more than just minutes. Guessand became part of a rare double-European story. He played for Aston Villa earlier in the campaign in the Europa League, and when Unai Emery’s side went all the way, he collected a winner’s medal. Then came the Conference League run with Palace, capped by a late cameo in the final victory over Rayo Vallecano.

One player, two European trophies, two clubs. Not a bad return from a season that had once looked like it might drift.

Palace, though, initially walked away. They chose not to trigger an option to buy earlier in the summer, sending Guessand back to Villa for pre-season and leaving his future hanging in the balance. Now the picture has shifted again, with fresh talks over another loan as Palace look to add depth and familiarity to their forward line without committing to a permanent fee.

Guessand’s stock has also been shaped by his international work. He made two substitute appearances for Ivory Coast at this summer’s World Cup, a reminder that, despite the uneven club numbers, he remains in the frame at the highest level.

Villa, armed with a Europa League title and a squad jostling for places, can afford to be selective. Guessand, still in his mid-20s and needing rhythm, needs games more than he needs a bench seat in Birmingham.

So the negotiations roll on. Palace know exactly what they are getting: a powerful, hard-running forward who has already adapted to their dressing room and their demands. Villa know what they are giving up, at least for a year: a £26m asset still trying to prove he can be more than a rotation option in claret and blue.

If the deal lands, Guessand’s curious, medal-laden, stop-start English adventure will loop back to where it briefly came alive. And this time, there will be far fewer excuses if it doesn’t.