Crystal Palace Secure Loan Deal For Aston Villa’s Evann Guessand

It’s been a whirlwind January transfer window for Crystal Palace, and the club’s latest move has sent ripples through the Premier League. On January 29, 2026, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa reached a formal agreement in principle to bring Ivorian international forward Evann Guessand to Selhurst Park on loan until the end of the season, with an option to buy. The deal, confirmed by multiple reputable outlets including The Athletic, Fabrizio Romano, and Foot Mercato, comes at a pivotal moment for both clubs and the player himself.

Guessand, just 24 years old, arrived at Aston Villa from OGC Nice in the summer of 2025 for a hefty fee—reported as €35 million (£30.4 million, $40.5 million) including add-ons. The transfer was seen as a major coup for Villa at the time, with the club hoping the versatile attacker would inject pace, creativity, and goals into their front line. However, the reality has been a challenging adaptation period for Guessand, who has struggled to find his rhythm in the English top flight.

Despite flashes of promise, especially in European competition, Guessand’s numbers at Villa have been underwhelming. He’s made 21 appearances in all competitions this season, but only six of those have been Premier League starts. Both of his goals came in the UEFA Europa League, leaving him still searching for his first league goal in England. Additionally, he’s contributed two assists, but minutes have become increasingly hard to come by—especially following his return from the Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast and the arrivals of Tammy Abraham from Besiktas and Alysson from Gremio.

Villa’s attacking reinforcements have had a direct impact on Guessand’s opportunities. The return of Leon Bailey, the signing of Abraham, and the addition of Alysson have crowded the attacking department, relegating Guessand to the bench or even out of the matchday squad. According to The Athletic, he was an unused substitute in the recent fixture against Newcastle, with manager Unai Emery favoring other options.

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, have been on a mission to overhaul their attack. The club sits 15th in the Premier League and has struggled to find the back of the net, ranking as the fourth-worst attacking team in the division at the time of the deal. The need for fresh firepower became even more urgent with star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta pushing for a move away from Selhurst Park. Mateta has been heavily linked with a £35 million transfer to Nottingham Forest, and both AC Milan and Juventus have reportedly shown interest.

To address their scoring woes, Palace have already been active in the market. Earlier in the winter window, they secured the services of Brennan Johnson from Tottenham Hotspur for a fee approaching £35 million. On the same day as the Guessand agreement, they reportedly reached a £50 million deal with Wolves for the signature of Norwegian striker Jørgen Strand Larsen, a player who netted 14 goals in his debut Premier League season and recently bagged a hat-trick in the FA Cup. Still, the Guessand deal stands out for its strategic significance and potential upside.

Crystal Palace’s sporting director, Matt Hobbs—who previously worked at Wolves and played a key role in the Strand Larsen signing—has been instrumental in these negotiations. The club beat out competition from European sides such as Real Sociedad and Real Betis to land Guessand, a player they had tried to sign last summer before he opted for Villa. This time, Palace’s persistence paid off, and Guessand’s preference to remain in the Premier League made the move all the more likely.

The structure of the deal is straightforward: Guessand joins on loan with Palace holding an option to make the transfer permanent for a fee believed to be around €30 million at the end of the season. This arrangement gives Palace flexibility and the chance to assess Guessand’s fit in their system before committing to a long-term investment. For Guessand, it’s an opportunity to reignite his career and showcase his abilities in a team that is expected to use him in his preferred central role—either as a No. 9 or just behind the main striker, rather than out wide as he was often deployed at Villa.

Manager Oliver Glasner, who has already announced he will leave Palace at the end of the season, was clear about the need for reinforcements. According to Fabrizio Romano, the club has “sparked into life” to ensure Glasner has a strong squad for the second half of the campaign. The Austrian, who lifted the FA Cup with Palace last season, wants to leave on a high note, and the influx of attacking talent may provide the spark needed to climb the table and push for a memorable finish.

Still, questions remain. Will both Guessand and Strand Larsen arrive, or does the Guessand deal cast doubt on the latter’s transfer? Sources suggest that the Strand Larsen pursuit may now be in jeopardy, but with Mateta’s exit still possible, Palace could yet complete both moves to fully revamp their attack. The club’s recent FA Cup embarrassment—a shock defeat to non-league Macclesfield—underscored the urgency for change and the need for greater depth and quality up front.

For Aston Villa, the move makes sense as well. Guessand’s limited impact, combined with increased competition for places, meant a loan was the best option for all parties. Villa’s own transfer activity this month, highlighted by the arrivals of Abraham and Alysson, signals a new direction for their forward line and allows Guessand to seek regular football elsewhere.

As the transfer window draws to a close, Palace’s supporters will be eager to see how Guessand fares in south London. Will he rediscover the form that made him a star at Nice and catch fire in the Premier League? Or will the pressure of expectation prove too much in a team desperate for goals? Only time will tell, but for now, the Eagles have made a bold statement of intent.

With the deal pending final signatures and Guessand expected to travel to London imminently, all eyes are on Selhurst Park to see whether this flurry of transfer activity can spark a turnaround in Palace’s fortunes. Whatever happens next, one thing’s for sure: the closing days of this transfer window are shaping up to be among the most dramatic in recent memory for Crystal Palace and their fans.