To say that this season hasn’t exactly gone to plan for Crystal Palace would be a massive understatement.
Instead of building on their success last year, the Eagles have struggled in the Premier League and Conference League and crashed out of the FA Cup in the Third Round.
On top of that, Oliver Glasner has confirmed that he will be leaving in the summer, Marc Guehi has already left this month, and Jean-Philippe Mateta is surely set to follow.
However, it is not all doom and gloom, as Palace are making moves of their own in the market and might have just secured an attacker compared to Bruno Fernandes, who could be the Eberechi Eze replacement they’ve needed all season.
Palace close in on Eze replacement
While much of the media have highlighted the players who have or could still leave Palace this month, the club haven’t done such a bad job when it comes to the incomings.
For example, they’ve already secured the services of Brennan Johnson from Tottenham Hotspur, and it now looks like they are also going to get their hands on Jørgen Strand Larsen.
Moreover, the South Londoners are now closing in on another attacking star who has been compared to the incredible Fernandes and could potentially do some of what Eze did.
At least, that is according to a recent report from journalist Jason Burt, who revealed that Palace have advanced their interest in Evann Guessand.
In fact, Burt has revealed that the Eagles have agreed a deal to sign the Ivorian international from Aston Villa.
As things stand, the deal is a loan with an option to buy the 24-year-old at the end of the season.
While the news might not blow away some fans, this could be a great deal for Palace, as, at his best, Guessand can be a brilliant player and might just be the Eze replacement they’ve needed.
Why Guessand will be great for Palace
Now, the elephant in the room when it comes to Guessand is the fact that his move to Aston Villa just hasn’t worked out.
For example, in 21 appearances under Unai Emery, he has scored only two goals, which certainly doesn’t look good.
However, it would be unfair and rather foolish to judge a player on six months when the season before he was incredible.
It’s not unusual for a player to struggle at one club and thrive at another, and when you look back at his form last season, it feels far more likely that he’s just not a great fit for the Villans than that he’s not good enough.
Guessand’s 24/25
Appearances
42
Minutes
3075′
Goals
13
Assists
10
Goal Involvements per Match
0.54
Minutes per Goal Involvement
133.69′
For example, in his last campaign for Nice, the dangerous attacker racked up a brilliant haul of 13 goals and ten assists in 42 appearances, totalling 3075 minutes.
That comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.82 games, or every 133.69 minutes, which is an excellent rate of return.
Furthermore, what that haul shows is that the 24-year-old is both a dangerous goalscorer and a creative outlet capable of racking up assists.
This, combined with his ability to play in a few different positions, is what makes him a potential Eze replacement.
If you are still unconvinced, then just listen to The Athletic’s Alex Barker, who described him as having a “Bruno Fernandes-esque drive to unpredictably create high-quality chances.”
This bold assertion is supported by the fact that in his 33 league appearances last term, the exciting forward created 12 big chances, per Sofascore.
Ultimately, some fans might be uninspired by this move given Guessand’s form this season, but if you look at what he did last year, his arrival becomes a whole lot more exciting for Palace.
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