Town are closing in on the loan signing of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Paraguayan international forward Julio Enciso.
The 20-year-old was first mentioned as a target of the Blues and Leicester by media in his home country last week when TWTD confirmed he had been a player Town had eyed in the previous couple of windows but at that stage without making an approach.
However, the situation appears to have moved on since then with Paraguayan journalist Christian Pérez reporting that Enciso, who was on the Seagulls’ bench at Portman Road last Thursday without making it onto the field, is on his way to Town to complete a loan switch and could be in the squad for Saturday’s game at Liverpool. We understand that this is the case with a medical set for Wednesday.
Enciso, who is 5ft 8in tall, joined Brighton from Club Libertad in his home country for £9 million in 2022.
Speaking about speculation that Enciso might be sent on loan in his press conference ahead of the Town game, manager Fabian Hurzeler said: "There are arguments for and against. But the most important is that he knows our arguments, that we know his arguments, that he's giving everything for the club, because in the end, he always says that he really likes to play for Brighton and that's why I think he already showed it this season so far.
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"When he was on the pitch, then he had good performances, he proved it last Saturday against Norwich [in which he scored]. So in the end, we are really happy to have him here in the squad.
"We always have to negotiate what is the best for the individual development from the player. What is helpful at the moment? Is it like playing every game or is it training with the highest quality and not playing every game?
"So that’s always a thing where we have to exchange with the player, where we have to negotiate what is the most helpful for the club, what is the most helpful for the player and then I'm sure that we will make the right decision.”
Enciso, who has been capped 23 times by Paraguay, scoring twice, is contracted until the summer of 2026 with Brighton not looking to sell him.
The Blues have been after three attacking players in this window, forwards Enciso and Jaden Philogene, who joined from Aston Villa last week, and a number nine, who they now have just under a fortnight to recruit before the Monday 3rd February deadline.
As he is 20, Enciso, who will become the club’s first ever Paraguayan international, doesn’t count towards the Blues’ 25-man Premier League squad, which has to be resubmitted shortly after the window closes.
The signing almost certainly ends Town’s pursuit of Liverpool’s Ben Doak, who is currently on loan at Middlesbrough. The Blues made a £16 million offer for the 19-year-old close to the beginning of the window, which was rebuffed.
Town and the Seagulls did January loan business last year, Jeremy Sarmiento coming in and playing a big part in the Blues’ promotion to the Premier League.