Evann Ludovic Vidjannagni Guessand (born 1 July 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward or attacking midfielder for Premier League club Crystal Palace, on loan from Aston Villa. He also represents the Ivory Coast national team.
Guessand is a product of the Nice academy, and progressed through their youth and B sides to the first team, before transferring to Aston Villa in 2025. He also spent time on loan at Lausanne-Sport and Nantes earlier in his career.
Born in France, Guessand was a regular French youth international up to under-19 level, before switching to the Ivory Coast in 2024.
Evann Ludovic Vidjannagni Guessand was born on 1 July 2001 in Ajaccio, Corse-du-Sud. His father Servais Guessand Konan is an Ivorian former footballer who played professionally for AC Ajaccio.
Guessand joined the youth academy of OGC Nice at the age of 12. On 5 January 2020, he made his professional debut in a 2âÂÂ0 Coupe de France win over Fréjus Saint-Raphaël. On 23 August, he made his Ligue 1 debut against Lens as a late substitute in 2âÂÂ1 home win.
On 30 September 2020, Guessand joined FC Lausanne-Sport on loan. On 3 October, he made his Swiss Super League debut against Zürich, scoring his first goal for the club in the 4âÂÂ0 home victory. In total, he scored seven goals during the 2020âÂÂ21 season, making him the team's top goalscorer, and also recorded five assists.
In the pre-season of 2021âÂÂ22, Guessand extended his contract at Nice until 2026. On 24 October 2021, he recorded his first goal for the club, scoring a stoppage time winner against Olympique Lyonnais after coming on as an 83rd minute substitute. Three days later, he made his first start in a 1âÂÂ1 draw against Olympique de Marseille, assisting a goal for Amine Gouiri six minutes into the Mediterranean derby.
Overall, he made 20 league appearances during the season, including two starts. In the 2021âÂÂ22 Coupe de France, Guessand made substitute appearances in every round, including the 2022 Coupe de France final where Nice were beaten 1âÂÂ0 by FC Nantes at the Stade de France on 7 May.
On 12 July 2022, Guessand joined Ligue 1 club Nantes on a season-long loan. He made his debut for the club in the 2022 Trophée des Champions on 31 July, where they were beaten 4âÂÂ0 by Paris Saint-Germain.
He scored his first goal for the club in a 3âÂÂ1 league win over Toulouse on 28 August. On 8 September, on his UEFA Europa League debut, Guessand scored the winning goal for Nantes in the final minutes of a 2âÂÂ1 home victory over Olympiacos.
Guessand ended 2022âÂÂ23 as a runner-up in the Coupe de France for the second consecutive season. He was an unused substitute in the 2023 Coupe de France final on 29 April, where Nantes were beaten 5âÂÂ1 by FC Toulouse.
Guessand appeared in all 34 of Nice's matches in the 2023âÂÂ24 Ligue 1 season, starting in 14 matches and scoring six goals. In 2024âÂÂ25, he was named the club's Player of the Season after scoring twelve goals and recording nine assists.
On 8 August 2025, Guessand signed for Premier League club Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee; the contract is valid until 2030. This fee was reported to be worth â¬35 million (ã30.5 million). He made his Premier League debut as a late substitute in a 1âÂÂ0 defeat to Brentford on 23 August. On 23 October, Guessand scored his first Aston Villa goal in an eventual 2âÂÂ1 Europa League defeat to Go Ahead Eagles.
On 30 January 2026, Guessand joined fellow Premier League club Crystal Palace on a loan deal, with an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season. He made his debut on 8 February as a second-half substitute away at rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, contributing with an assist for Ismaïla Sarr to ensure a 1âÂÂ0 victory for Palace and end a 12-match winless streak. On 22 February, he scored his first goal for Crystal Palace and first goal in the Premier League, a 90th-minute winner to seal a 1âÂÂ0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Four days later, he scored Palace's second goal in the 2âÂÂ0 win over Hà  K Zrinjski Mostar in the UEFA Conference League.
Born in France, Guessand holds French and Ivorian nationalities. After representing France at youth level, Guessand was named in the Ivory Coast's provisional squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in December 2023.
Guessand made his debut for the Ivory Coast national team on 11 June 2024 in a World Cup qualifier against Kenya at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, Malawi. He substituted Emmanuel Latte Lath in the 61st minute of a scoreless draw. He scored his first international goal in a 1âÂÂ0 win over Burundi on 21 March 2025.
Having originally only named in the back-up squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Guessand was called up to the tournament squad to replace the injured Sébastien Haller on 19 December 2025. He appeared in four of the team's five matches at the tournament, scoring once in a 3âÂÂ2 win over Gabon.
Guessand is the older brother of Axel Guessand, who was also a French youth international footballer.
Nice
Individual