Ipswich Town Strengthens Squad with Enciso and Ouattara Signings

Ipswich Town’s Premier League return has taken on an even bolder look.

The Tractor Boys have completed a double swoop from Strasbourg, landing winger Julio Enciso and midfielder Abdoul Ouattara on long-term deals as Gary O’Neil continues to reshape a squad built to survive – and more – in the top flight.

Both Enciso, 22, and Ouattara, 20, have signed five-year contracts, with the combined fee reportedly rising to as much as £47.3m. It is another statement outlay from a club that has already pushed spending to around £150m since climbing out of the Championship.

Enciso back where it clicked

For Enciso, this is a return to familiar surroundings. The Paraguay international spent the second half of last season on loan at Portman Road from Brighton before moving to Strasbourg, and he made it clear there was unfinished business in Suffolk.

"I am so happy to be back at Ipswich Town," he said. "I really enjoyed my time on loan at the club and I was so happy to see them win promotion back to the Premier League last season.

"I worked with the manager in France last season and the chance to play for him again at a great club like Ipswich is one I'm very excited for."

His relationship with O’Neil, forged in Ligue 1, has clearly carried weight. Ipswich now get a player who already knows the club, the stadium, and the expectation that comes with a newly promoted side trying to punch above its weight.

Ouattara brings European edge

If Enciso brings familiarity, Ouattara arrives with the momentum of a breakout year in France. The Ivorian midfielder made 45 appearances for Strasbourg in the French top flight last season and played a key role in their run to the Uefa Conference League semi-finals.

"I am still young but have had some good experiences already and I can't wait to meet the fans and my team-mates and get started," Ouattara said.

O’Neil knows exactly what he is getting. Energy. Legs. A player hardened by a long domestic campaign and the demands of European knockout football.

Ipswich keep spending – and aiming high

Enciso and Ouattara become Ipswich’s 12th major signings since promotion, pushing the club’s outlay to around £150m. For a side only just back in the Premier League, it is a remarkable show of ambition.

The squad that roared out of the Championship has been aggressively upgraded, line by line. Now comes the hard part: turning this investment, and the trust placed in O’Neil’s French connections, into points on the board when the real noise starts.