‘He has his mind set on finishing the season well’ – Franck Haise denies Premier League target Evann Guessand has thoughts on move | OneFootball

Evann Guessand (23) has gone from OGC Nice’s most important attacker to a peripheral player in the space of a matter of weeks. The Ivory Coast international has 11 goals in Ligue 1 this season, however, in the last three games, he has accrued a mere 12 minutes of playing time. In last Friday’s win over Stade de Reims, he didn’t even come off the bench. It is the first Ligue 1 game in which he is yet to feature this season.

With no injury apparent, it is a tactical or simply a managerial choice taken by Franck Haise. The Nice manager evoked Guessand’s lack of minutes in recent weeks during a press conference on Friday. “I found at one point that there were fewer things in his play and so I made other choices,” he began.

“I have found in training sessions in recent weeks and notably this week, I think that there is more. Is it because he has rediscovered a freshness or because he wants to be here to give his maximum in the last two matches, I don’t know,” added Haise, evoking a potential return to the starting line-up against Stade Rennais on Saturday.

Guessand subject of Aston Villa and West Ham interest

Haise then denied that Guessand’s mind is elsewhere. “He has his mind set on finishing the season well with his club, his formative club, and for himself individually. It has nothing to do [with his head being elsewhere],” he said.

Guessand is heavily linked with a move away from Le Gym this summer. The centre-forward was the subject of interest from West Ham United and Aston Villa during the January transfer window. It remains to be seen whether the Premier League duo will re-ignite their interest at the end of the season.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle