Evann Guessand: Striker? Winger? Or a Hybrid Forward?

Name: Evann Guessand

Club: OGC Nice

Nationality: Ivory Coast

Position(s): RIF, LIF, ST

Preferred Foot: Right

Height: 6’1”/185cm

Age: 23

Guessand’s Career So Far

OGC Nice might not have the same global reputation for youth development as clubs like Lyon or Monaco, but they’ve certainly played a key role in producing, or at least spotting, recruiting, and nurturing some great talents from a young age. Names like Hugo Lloris, Jean-Clair Todibo, Allan Saint-Maximin, Amine Gouiri, and Youcef Atal all come to mind. This season, however, all eyes are on Evann Guessand, who looks set to become the next breakout star from this OGC Nice squad.

Unlike some of the names mentioned earlier, Guessand can truly be considered a homegrown Nice talent. The Ivorian rose through the ranks of Les Aiglons (The Eaglets) before heading out on loan to the Swiss league with Lausanne in 2020. There, he impressed with seven goals and five assists in 35 appearances. After returning to Nice for the 2021-22 season, he found minutes hard to come by, featuring mostly off the bench in his 25 appearances. His sole goal that campaign, however, was a memorable, scoring a dramatic 93rd-minute winner against Olympique Lyonnais to seal a stunning 3-2 comeback.

The following season, Guessand went out on loan again, this time staying in Ligue 1 with FC Nantes. His return of five goals in 45 appearances wasn’t exactly eye-catching, but his development didn’t stall. After returning to Nice, he started to show real signs of progress, scoring seven goals in the last campaign. Now, though, he’s truly having his breakout season, already reaching 19 goal contributions and proving his worth on the big stage.

Is he a striker? A winger? Somewhere in between?

Given his height and build, it’s easy to assume that Evann Guessand is a classic out-and-out number nine. In fact, most online football platforms list him as a striker. However, that is definitely not the case. With just 4.92 touches inside the opposition penalty box per game, it’s clear he doesn’t operate like a traditional center-forward. So, where does that leave him?

According to OptaAnalyst, 39% of Guessand’s appearances have come as a right winger suggesting he’s far more versatile than he might seem at first glance.

Theanalyst.com

But what if I told you he’s not a traditional winger either?

He doesn’t hug the touchline, hold the width, or constantly look to take on defenders from wide areas. In fact, the bulk of his touches come in central spaces, particularly the half spaces, rather than out wide. So, if he’s not a typical striker or a classic winger… what exactly is Guessand’s best position?

Guessand is best described as an inside forward. A hybrid between a striker and a winger. His heatmap tells the story perfectly. While he does drift into the box and wide areas, the majority of his touches come in the right half-space, where he thrives the most.

SofaScore

The Ivorian excels when playing alongside another striker who occupies the central spaces and engages the two center-backs, while an overlapping fullback stretches the width.

This setup allows Guessand to make the most of one of his most dangerous weapons, his runs in behind.

Watch Your Back, You’ll Never “Guessand” Where He’s Coming From

Off-ball movement is a fundamental skill for any professional player, yet it remains one of the most underrated aspects of the game. A static player, waiting for the ball to come to him, is rarely effective. Football is a game of fine margins, and intelligent movement. Providing a passing option, attacking space, or dragging defenders out of position, can make all the difference in creating those tiny but crucial advantages.

This is an area where Guessand excels. He constantly looks to make runs in behind, using his pace to slip into defenders’ blind spots and exploit the spaces they leave behind. As mentioned earlier, he operates primarily in the right half-space, and he thrives on attacking the gap between the opposition’s left center-back and left-back. His combination of speed and physicality makes him difficult to track, allowing him to generate most of his scoring chances through well-timed movement.

Most of his shots come from inside the box, naturally leading to high-percentage opportunities. His 11 league goals from an xG of 8.06 suggests he’s currently overperforming his expected output, but his goal conversion rate only ranks 10th among Ligue 1 strikers. So while the data might suggest an overperformance, his scoring form might not be as unsustainable as it first appears. More importantly, his ability to consistently get into dangerous positions is what truly sustains his goal tally.

It’s also worth noting that Guessand has a diverse finishing arsenal and the confidence to execute different types of shots. This versatility only adds to his goalscoring potential, making him an even bigger threat in front of goal.

Understat.com

However, Guessand’s movement isn’t just about attacking space or creating chances for himself. He also contributes in build-up phases, frequently dropping into deeper areas to offer a passing option while maintaining an open body orientation. Whether it’s receiving between the lines to hold up play and combine quickly with teammates, or using his ball-carrying ability to break through defensive structures, he remains effective.

His upper and lower body strength allow him to perform these actions consistently. When holding up play, he plants himself firmly, anchoring his position and effectively pinning his marker before rolling his body around them. And when carrying the ball forward, he’s able to ride challenges, using his arms to fend off opponents and his hips to maintain balance.

In fact, ball carrying is another area that might cause some confusion, especially when looking at the player’s numbers. Compared to other forwards, he ranks in extremely high percentiles for total carries, progressive carries, and carries into the final third.

Photo: FBRef

Photo: FBRef

Once again, this reinforces why Guessand is neither a traditional striker nor a typical winger. His lower ranking among wingers is largely due to the fact that, well, not a winger and also his tendency to combine quickly with teammates rather than take on defenders in isolation. However, that doesn’t mean he lacks the technical skill, running power, or physicality to drive forward with the ball.

Most of his dribbles come during carrying sequences rather than from a static position. His agility allows him to change direction with ease, and his quick feet help him get subtle touches on the ball just before a defender can make a tackle. The numbers support this: Guessand ranks in the top 10 across all Ligue 1 players, regardless of position, for ball carrying frequency, offensive duels, and offensive duel success rate.

Photo: DataMB

Once again, these rankings drop when compared to wingers, mainly because Guessand sometimes prefers quick link-up play or playing another player on rather than holding onto the ball and taking on defenders in isolation. Not exactly a typical winger’s trait, is it?

Some might mistake this for a reluctance to take players on, but that’s far from the truth. Guessand has the natural ability to beat his markers with speed, technique, and power when needed. However, his preference for quick combinations is what makes him an effective creator in the final third. He has a keen eye for runners and looks to deliver crosses with both feet, though his crossing is an area that could still improve.

So far this season, Guessand averages 1.17 key passes per 90 minutes, has registered seven assists, and has created 30 big chances in total.

Theanalyst.com

Influential both with and without the ball

Sure, carries, dribbles, and goal threat are all key traits for a forward. After all, strikers are there to score, and defenders are there to defend. But at the highest level, a high work rate and intelligent pressing are just as important for a striker. In fact, some might argue that Guessand’s defensive contribution is just as impressive.

When compared to other forwards across Europe’s top five leagues, Guessand’s defensive numbers are elite. He ranks in extremely high percentiles for tackles all over the pitch, showing just how much ground he covers off the ball. And unlike his in-possession stats, his rankings don’t drop as drastically when compared to wingers, further proving his all-around impact.

FBRef

No matter the out-of-possession shape, whether it’s a 4-4-2, 4-1-4-1, or 4-2-3-1, Guessand is almost always deployed in wide areas, where his physicality, work rate, and tackling ability help him defend those zones effectively.

The same applies to his pressing. He’s proactive, reads pressing triggers well, and often disrupts the opposition’s buildup when Nice pushes high. This is exactly why he ranks in the 98th percentile for shot-creating defensive actions and the 92st percentile for goal-creating defensive actions.

However, it’s worth noting that Guessand’s defensive impact is most effective higher up the pitch or in the middle third. When defending in Nice’s own third, he sometimes struggles to close down crossing angles properly and can lose track of his man during quick passing sequences. It’s an area of his game that still has room for improvement.

Evann Guessand has recently been linked with a move to both West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. While he certainly has the technical and physical profile to thrive in England, the tactical fit at both clubs could present some challenges.

As we’ve established, Guessand is not a traditional target man. Sure, he has the potential to develop into one over time, and at 23 years old, now would be the right time to start adapting to that role. But at this stage, he’s still far from a classic number nine. Likewise, he isn’t a conventional winger, which could make a move to Spurs particularly tricky. With Dominik Solanke already leading the line, and given Ange Postecoglou’s preference for wingers who stay high and wide, it’s hard to see where Guessand would fit into that system.

His ideal role remains that of an inside forward or even an attacking midfielder, operating in the right half-space and thriving with the support of a central striker and an overlapping fullback or wingback. Which raises an interesting question; is this why we’re starting to see link between the player and Manchester United?

By: Mohamed Fathalli / @FathalliMohamed

Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Sandra Ruhaut / Icon Sport