The new Drogba? Why Evann Guessand's versatility convinced Aston Villa to make £22m swoop
Evann Guessand might regularly be compared to hero and mentor Didier Drogba but it is the difficulty of accurately defining his style which most appeals to Villa.
Centre-forward, winger, second striker - the 24-year-old Ivory Coast international has played all of those positions and more and such variety is the chief reason why he is now on course to become Unai Emery’s first major signing of the summer.
Recruiting an attacker was always high on the Spaniard’s list of priorities once any hopes of signing Marcus Rashford on a permanent basis were extinguished by Villa’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.
It is Guessand, a player already on his radar before the audacious January loan swoop for Rashford, for whom Villa have now moved, seeing off competition from Crystal Palace and Saudi Pro League outfit SC Neom to secure his signature for an initial £22million.
Emery, not for the first time in his Villa reign, is thought to have helped swing the deal in his club's favour with a personal call with the player last weekend, during which he outlined how he planned to use him in the team, while also referencing the fact club scouts had watched him more than 30 times.
The Villa boss prizes versatility above almost every other quality and Guessand has it in abundance, coupled with pace, power and workrate.
