Aston Villa have officially signed Ivory Coast striker Evann Guessand from OGC Nice in a deal worth £26 million, with an additional £4.3 million in add-ons, bringing the total potential fee to £30.3 million.

The 24-year-old forward enjoyed an impressive 2024/25 season in Ligue 1, scoring 12 goals and being named Nice’s Player of the Season as the club finished fourth in the French top flight. His performances attracted interest from several Premier League clubs, including Crystal Palace, but Villa won the race for his signature.

Guessand becomes Aston Villa’s first major signing of the summer transfer window, following the arrival of Yasin Özcan from Kasimpasa—who was immediately loaned out to Anderlecht—and goalkeeper Marco Bizot from Brest, signed for an undisclosed fee as a back-up option.

Villa have been actively searching for attacking reinforcements since Jhon Durán’s January move to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, which left Ollie Watkins as the only senior striker in the squad. While Marcus Rashford filled the gap on loan from Manchester United during the second half of the season, he has now joined Barcelona.

Guessand, a product of Nice’s youth academy, signed a four-year contract with the French side last summer. He made his senior international debut for Ivory Coast in June 2024 and has since earned nine caps.

With Villa having finished sixth in the Premier League last season, securing qualification for the UEFA Europa League, the club will look to build on that success. Their 2025/26 Premier League campaign kicks off at home against Newcastle United on Saturday, 16 August (12:30 BST).