Ollie Watkins to Newcastle latest as Aston Villa confirm transfer

Aston Villa have announced the acquisition of Evann Guessand, casting doubt on Ollie Watkins' tenure at the club. Premier League interest in England forward Watkins has been rife this summer, yet a transfer seemed unlikely without securing a suitable successor.

Guessand, the Ivorian international, could be that very replacement. The versatile 24-year-old attacker has made the switch from Nice for a fee believed to be in the region of £26million. Last season, he notched up 12 goals in Ligue 1 and contributed nine assists, alongside scoring in the Europa League. Discussing his move to Villa, the Corsica-born striker credited manager Unai Emery's influence as pivotal.

"I was watching the games of Aston Villa in the last seasons, and after that we started talking with the coach," Guessand said. "To be honest, our talks were the main point, because he really is the person who convinced me to come here, and of course we know the career of this coach.

"A long time ago, I saw him in the French league, and he's known for the way he used to improve the players he used to work with, so I was thinking about this. I'm a young player and I want to improve. I have many qualities that can improve, so when I spoke with the coach, I (knew) this is the right coach for me to become better and better."

Arsenal, who were previously interested in Watkins, have shifted their focus to other targets, including Viktor Gyokeres, who joined for over £60m. Manchester United also showed interest but are now set to sign Benjamin Sesko.

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However, either club could still see value in Watkins, and Newcastle remains a potential destination. The Magpies are reportedly close to signing Yoane Wissa, but may seek another attacking addition following Callum Wilson's move to West Ham and the possibility of Alexander Isak joining Liverpool.

Guessand is Villa's fourth summer acquisition. They've also signed young Dutch forward Zepiqueno Redmond from Feyenoord, goalkeeper Marco Bizot and centre-back Yasin Ozcan, although the Turkish international has immediately been loaned out to Anderlecht.

Several peripheral players have departed, either permanently or on loan, and Villa's failure to secure Champions League qualification has prevented them from making permanent moves for last season's loanees Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio.

Rashford has since joined Barcelona on loan from Manchester United, while Asensio has returned to his parent club Paris Saint-Germain - at least for the time being.