Aston Villa hopeful of completing the signing of Nice forward Evann Guessand – with the Ivory Coast star set to become Unai Emery’s first major addition of the window

Aston Villa are working on the signing of Nice forward Evann Guessand and hope to complete a deal this week as they try to add extra competition to their attack.

In what would be Villa’s first significant move in the market this summer, Guessand would join Unai Emery’s men for about £28m.

Villa have been looking for a new forward ever since Jhon Duran departed last January and seem to have settled on Guessand, who has been considered one of the most promising players in French football in recent seasons.

He scored 13 goals and had 10 assists in all competitions last season and though he plays mainly through the middle, the 24-year-old can also operate on the flanks.

Villa have insisted all summer that Ollie Watkins is not for sale but if they sign Guessand, it will be interesting to see whether clubs who admire Watkins make a serious move for him.

Meanwhile, West Ham remain keen to sign Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa with the midfielder currently keeping his options open over his long-term future.

Unai Emery is looking to complete his first significant signing of the summer transfer window

West Ham remain keen to sign Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa with the midfielder currently keeping his options open

Though Ramsey is well-regarded by Villa boss Unai Emery, his status as a homegrown player means an eventual transfer fee represents pure profit in the club accounts – crucial in the current era of Premier League spending rules.

Villa have been willing to listen to offers for Ramsey since the transfer window opened and are thought to value him at about £40million.