- Palace could sign Guessand even without triggering buy clause
- Palace hierarchy have been keen on permanent move for some time
- Aston Villa need to sell
Crystal Palace have a huge decision to make regarding the future of Ivory Coast international Evann Guessand. With his loan set to expire this Summer, the South London club are reportedly looking into bringing him to Palace full-time.
Pete O’Rourke has reported that Guessand is “expected to make his loan move permanent” upon the expiry of his sixth month stay at Palace.
Whilst he has struggled with injury, Guessand has shown that he certainly has talent, and Palace will be hoping to see a return on investment should they commit to signing him permanently.
With two huge games left in Palace’s season, Guessand has the chance to prove his worth, and with one of those being the Conference League final, a goal in Leipzig could make all the difference.
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Guessand’s time at Palace
Guessand arrived just before the deadline of the January window, after he had pushed for a move to Selhurst Park himself. He rejected Palace in favour of a move to Aston Villa last Summer, but ended up playing in red and blue after a tough six months in Birmingham.
Guessand came into the squad and seemingly added an air of South London to the squad, the flair that had been missing since Eberechi Eze’s departure the Summer before.
Whilst his presence has been refreshing, there’s certainly a debate over whether or not he’s a must-sign for Palace.
He missed nine games with a knee injury but returned to action from the bench in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Brentford.
Two goals and one assist in his 12 appearances is not quite mind blowing, but his contribution to build-up has been helpful, especially when breaking down low blocks.
Do Palace need Guessand?
At £30 million, we’re talking about the average price for a solid Premier League player in the modern market.
The question is therefore whether Palace needs, or can afford to outlay that money on him.
With the next manager unknown, at least publicly, it is unclear whether he will fit the new system. He
struggled at Villa when he played on the wing, and has been much improved occupying a wide ten role since his move to Palace.
There will also be other areas of the pitch that need depth, especially midfield, and if the likes of Wharton or Munoz are sold then replacements will be needed.
Villa are keen to cash in on the Ivorian forward, who will play at this Summer’s World Cup. This would benefit Palace should they push for a permanent deal.
There is a £28 million buy clause in the loan deal, but the reports suggest that Palace could push for a permanent deal whether or not they trigger the option to buy.
This could mean that a lower price could strike a deal, which would ultimately make it worthwhile.
