Who is Evann Guessand and why are Brighton linked with him this summer?

Brighton have Nice forward Evann Guessand as one of their priorities if João Pedro leaves this summer, according to Sacha Tavolieri. 

The Ivorian forward could be available for as little as €25 million. Having 12 goals and eight assists in Ligue 1, playing across the front four for a team that secured Champions League football for the first time since 2017.

Guessand is what most like to call an inside forward — someone who plays as a hybrid between a ten and a nine and also a right-winger.

I included the left wing in the front four, but despite being right-footed, he’s not really played there often, largely because he’s not the type of player who cuts inside.

What can Guessand bring to Brighton?

What stands out immediately about Guessand is his physicality. He’s a serious physical presence and uses his body really well, and most defenders struggle to go man-to-man with him.

He’s pretty quick, too, with at least enough accelerative pace and power to knock the ball past an opponent and run onto it.

Guessand’s ball-carrying ability is strong. Opposing defenders struggle to get near him as he’s built like a wall and uses his arms well, and is agile too, which is handy given his height.

Not only does his intelligence help in finding space and making runs, but it also aids him as a shockingly good creator, and it all comes down to technique.

The way he manipulates his body not only assists his carrying but his passing. The 23-year-old can access a range of angles and pass strongly with either foot and has a range of tricks in his locker.

Guessand loves a Danny Welbeck back-heel flick whilst dropping deeper and making line-breaking passes as well.

He’s got a decent cross on him, particularly low balls into the area, and he gets on the end of them well too, with some tidy finishes in his portfolio of the 12 goals scored in Ligue 1 this season, as well as in the Europa League.

When the ball isn’t at his feet, it doesn’t stop there, however.

One of the French striker’s best attributes and something that you can really see under Franck Haise is the runs he makes off the ball and the space he’s able to find. He’s deceptively very intelligent with the runs he can make behind and to open space up for others.

Does it seem too good to be true? Let’s weigh up the negatives.

Problems to watch out for…

Ultimately, this is going to be praise, but with some slight negatives. 

I haven’t spoken about his shooting yet because it’s a weird topic, as he does a lot of things well, particularly his finishing.

Aerially, he’s sound, he’s a constant threat within 12 yards, but beyond that, he’s a bit frustrating. 

Outside the box shooting, he offers very little threat, so playing him as a ten in a 4-2-3-1 where he’d likely find a fair bit of football as a Pedro replacement could be hindering.

His problem is accuracy as he tends to strike the ball firmly but sacrifices accuracy in doing so. This is probably why he’s not had much joy on the left in his career.

With his dribbling in regards to one-on-one situations, he’s a bit predictable. Won a few penalties, but most of the time it’s practically the same situation where he’s going to look to cut to the byline at every opportunity.

This, when it works, is effective because his cutbacks are so dangerous.

He also has a tendency to overplay and his decision-making isn’t great in that regard. It’s great when he beats three guys, but then instead of playing the obvious pass, he’s more likely to take on a fourth. This results in losing the ball a fair number of times. 

Add that to the earlier passing point where, yes, he’s a creative workhorse, but as with other creators, simple passes can be missed more often than you’d like and give the ball away when attempting the audacious.

Overall, yes or no? 

Yes, this is a player that will certainly get you off your feet. As a ten, a right winger or probably medium-term best as a nine, there’s a serious player in Guessand that would be desirable for a lot of Premier League teams.

I will add a slight caveat that Haise’s system does tend to get the best out of forwards, so if we do sign him, my expectations aren’t going to be through the roof.

Overall, we’d be getting an absolutely quality forward who adds a different dynamic to some of our other forwards. 

At worst, he’s a great rotation option; at best, he could be the figurehead of a post-Pedro/Mitoma Albion.