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 move that would reunite the forward with the club where his Premier League story truly began to take shape.

The 25-year-old Ivory Coast international arrived in south London in January and needed little time to make an impression. His first Premier League goal came in a tight 1-0 win over Wolves, the kind of nervy, grinding victory that often defines a season. That strike offered a glimpse of the power and directness Palace believed they were getting when they pushed to take him midway through the campaign.

Guessand’s year, though, has been anything but straightforward.

He only joined Aston Villa last August in a £26m deal, a sizeable outlay that signalled high expectations. The start never caught fire. Two goals in 21 appearances across all competitions told its own story, a talented forward searching for rhythm in a side chasing honours on multiple fronts. Minutes were there, but the impact was muted.

The move to Palace in January changed the mood. At Selhurst Park, he slotted into a side that would go on to enjoy a remarkable European run. Guessand featured in the Conference League campaign and came off the bench in the final, as Palace beat Rayo Vallecano to lift the trophy. For a player whose season had threatened to drift, he suddenly found himself in the middle of a club’s modern history.

His medal haul did not end there. Earlier in the season, before his loan switch, Guessand had appeared for Villa in the Europa League. Unai Emery’s side went on to win that competition, meaning the forward finished the year with a Europa League winner’s medal as well. For a man still trying to nail down a starting spot at club level, it was a strangely decorated campaign.

On the international stage, Guessand added another layer to his rise. He made two substitute appearances for Ivory Coast at this summer’s World Cup, stepping into the global spotlight and adding major-tournament experience to his growing CV.

When the season ended, Palace had an option to make his stay permanent. They chose not to trigger it earlier in the summer, and Guessand returned to Villa for pre-season, reporting back into a squad now packed with confidence and silverware. Yet the sense that his future might lie elsewhere never quite disappeared.

Now the conversation has swung back. Palace are again at the table, this time discussing a season-long loan rather than a permanent deal. For the club, it is a chance to reintroduce a forward who already knows the dressing room, the demands of Selhurst, and the rhythm of the Premier League. For Guessand, it offers something even more valuable: the prospect of regular football in a league where he has only just started to show his edge.

Last season he moved between clubs, competitions and continents, picking up medals and minutes without ever truly settling. A return to Palace on loan would give him the one thing he has yet to enjoy since that £26m move to Villa: a clear run at a season, in a team ready to lean on him rather than simply rotate him.