Ipswich Eye Julio Enciso Reunion as O’Neil Targets Strasbourg Star
Ipswich Town are lining up an ambitious move to bring Julio Enciso back to Portman Road, with the club’s new manager Gary O’Neil pushing hard to reunite with the Paraguay international, according to Sky Sports.
Enciso, 22, left a strong impression during his brief spell with the Tractor Boys. On loan from Brighton & Hove Albion in the second half of the 2024–25 season, he produced two goals and three assists in 13 matches, injecting pace, flair and end product into Ipswich’s attack at a crucial stage of the campaign.
That loan stint may now prove to be the prelude rather than the full story.
O’Neil connection driving the chase
O’Neil’s arrival in Suffolk has changed the picture. The pair worked together at RC Strasbourg Alsace, where Enciso’s game has taken a sharp upward turn since his move to France last summer. The new Ipswich boss knows exactly what he would be getting.
At Strasbourg, Enciso has grown from promising loanee to genuine attacking reference point. Across all competitions he has racked up 42 appearances, directly contributing to 21 goals – 12 of his own and nine laid on for teammates. Those numbers are not window dressing; they underline a player who has learned how to decide matches, not just decorate them.
O’Neil, having seen that development first-hand in Alsace, is now keen to make him a centrepiece of his rebuild at Portman Road.
Rising stock on club and international stage
Enciso’s surge is not confined to club football. With Paraguay, the Caaguazú-born forward played a major role in an eye-catching World Cup campaign that carried his country all the way to the round of 16. The standout moment came in a shock elimination of Germany, where his influence was central to one of the tournament’s biggest storylines.
Performances like that have pushed his profile – and his price – sharply upward.
Under contract with Strasbourg until 2030, Enciso is tied down for the long term. The specialist site Transfermarkt currently values him at €25m, a figure that underlines the scale of Ipswich’s task if they are to prise him away from RCSA and the French top flight.
Ipswich know the player. O’Neil knows the person. Strasbourg hold the contract. The question now is whether the Tractor Boys are ready to pay the premium to turn a successful loan memory into a marquee signing for the next phase of their project.
