Aston Villa adamant Evan Guessand has no future as Crystal Palace eye deal

Aston Villa appear to have already decided the long-term fate of one player this summer, with Premier League rivals eyeing up a ‘straightforward’ opportunity.

Aston Villa brace for Chelsea clash after Wolves defeat

Villa cannot afford another slip-up, and Wednesday night’s home clash against Chelsea has the feel of a season-defining moment.

Unai Emery’s side were supposed to be title contenders just eight weeks ago. In January, they were trading blows with Arsenal at the summit of the Premier League, dreaming big and playing with the kind of confidence that suggested something special might be building.

But football has a way of humbling you fast.

One win from their last five league games has seen Villa hemorrhage ground at the top, and last Friday’s 2-0 derby defeat to bottom-placed Wolves at Molineux was as damaging as it was humiliating.

Emery was storming down the tunnel before the final whistle had blown. That said plenty.

The title is almost certainly gone. But Champions League qualification — the minimum expectation at this stage of the season — is now a genuine concern too.

Villa sit fourth in the table, but Man United, Chelsea and Liverpool are all breathing down their necks.

A defeat at Villa Park on Wednesday could be very damaging indeed. The margins are razor-thin, and the stakes could not be higher.

Chelsea themselves arrive in fine form after Arsenal were held to a draw, giving LIam Rosenior’s side the chance to close further ground on the top four.

They will be no pushovers, so Villa need their best players firing, they need a reaction from the Wolves embarrassment, and they need it fast.

It is in this climate of pressure that news has emerged of Villa’s future plans, and the message from the club is crystal clear.

Aston Villa make Evan Guessand decision amid Crystal Palace plan

Evann Guessand, the 24-year-old who joined Crystal Palace on loan in January, will not be returning to the Villa Park first team next season.

According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Aston Villa are ‘adamant’ the Frenchman has no long-term future at the club, and Emery has made no attempt to alter that position.

The loan will run its course, Palace will likely move to make the deal permanent, and both parties appear entirely comfortable with that outcome.

It is easy to see why Villa are letting him go without a fight. Guessand never truly forced his way into Emery’s plans during his time in the Midlands, and with the club chasing a top-four finish and potentially Champions League football next season, their attacking options need to be at the very highest level.

For Palace, the situation could hardly be more ‘straightforward’.

Football Insider say the Selhurst Park hierarchy view making the deal permanent as a ‘no-brainer’, and expect it to be an uncomplicated piece of business if Guessand maintains the form he has shown since arriving.

Two goals in six appearances since January is a decent return, and Oliver Glasner’s side are keen to push ahead with the purchase.

Palace are already planning for life without Jean-Philippe Mateta, whose proposed move to AC Milan collapsed in January after he failed a medical.