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 finally caught fire.

The 25-year-old Ivory Coast international arrived in England with weighty expectations after a £26m move to Villa last August. Big fee, big noise, modest return. Two goals in 21 appearances across all competitions told the tale of a stop-start first half of the campaign, as he struggled to impose himself in Unai Emery’s evolving side.

His season, and arguably his reputation in England, shifted with one decision in January.

Palace took a chance. Guessand took the escape route.

Dropped into south London for the second half of the season, he found rhythm and relevance. His first Premier League goal came in a tight, nervy 1-0 win over Wolves, a moment that felt less like a footnote and more like a statement that he could handle the pace and pressure of the division.

The stage only grew bigger.

Guessand played his part in Palace’s remarkable run to the Conference League title, coming off the bench in the final against Rayo Vallecano as the club capped a memorable European adventure with silverware in May. For a player searching for belonging, it was a powerful setting: floodlights, stakes, and a trophy in his hands.

His medal collection did not end there. Earlier in the season, before his loan, Guessand had featured for Villa in the Europa League. When Emery’s side went on to lift that trophy, the forward finished the campaign with a winner’s medal from a competition he had left behind months earlier. Two European triumphs, two clubs, one restless season.

On the international stage, he added another line to his year’s journey. Guessand made two substitute appearances for Ivory Coast at this summer’s World Cup, a reminder that, despite uneven club form, his national team still see value in his power and movement across the front line.

Then came the reset.

Palace chose not to trigger their option to sign him permanently earlier in the summer, sending Guessand back to Villa for pre-season and leaving his future hanging in the familiar limbo that often follows loan success. Back in claret and blue, back under Emery, but still without a clear path to a regular starting place.

Now the story circles back.

Talks between Palace and Villa over a season-long loan underline how much impact Guessand made in a short spell in south London. He knows the dressing room, the system, the expectations. Palace know what they’re getting: a forward who may not have exploded statistically yet, but who has already delivered in tight league games and on European nights.

For Guessand, another return to Selhurst Park could be more than just another move. It might be the season that decides whether he becomes a mainstay in the Premier League or a talent forever on the move, chasing the form that keeps threatening to break through.