Evann Guessand is weighing up his options after Crystal Palace’s option to buy the on-loan Aston Villa forward expired yesterday.
Standard Sport understands that while Palace remain interested in Guessand, they will now face competition from clubs in England and Europe for the 24-year-old’s signature.
Guessand joined the Eagles on loan in January with an option to buy at around £28million.
After a productive start to life in south-east London, a knee injury curtailed the Ivory Coast international's progress, and he played just 29 minutes of Palace’s final eight league games.
Guessand, who came off the bench as the south Londoners lifted the Conference League last week, has been included in the Ivory Coast’s World Cup squad and will then return to Aston Villa as he assesses his options ahead of next season.
Guessand is understood to have been happy at Palace, but uncertainty over who will replace outgoing manager Oliver Glasner means neither the club nor the player are expected to make a decision imminently.
Aston Villa have already received multiple enquiries about Guessand’s availability this summer, with Unai Emery expected to move on from the former Nice striker just a year after signing him for £30m.
Speaking in January, Emery admitted that he did not initially want to let Guessand leave for Palace but acknowledged that the move was “something good for the club”.
"It's something similar like with [Donyell] Malen. I was happy with him. I didn't want him to leave. But I accepted it is something good deal for the club,” Emery said.
