Ipswich Town Pursues Julio Enciso Reunion as O’Neil Targets Strasbourg Star

Ipswich Town are lining up a move to bring Julio Enciso back to Portman Road, with new manager Gary O’Neil pushing to reunite with the Paraguay international after their spell together at RC Strasbourg Alsace, according to Sky Sports.

Enciso, still only 22, knows the club and the Championship grind. He spent the second half of the 2024–25 season on loan at Ipswich from Brighton & Hove Albion, featuring 13 times and contributing two goals and three assists. It was a short stay, but he left enough of a mark to make a return a serious consideration.

O’Neil has seen a different version of the player since then. Strasbourg picked him up last summer and Enciso responded with his most complete campaign yet. Across all competitions he racked up 42 appearances and was directly involved in 21 goals, scoring 12 and setting up nine. Those are the numbers of a forward who has learned how to turn promise into production.

The performances in Alsace carried him onto the biggest stage. Enciso forced his way into Paraguay’s World Cup squad and did far more than make up the numbers. He played a central role in an eye-catching run to the round of 16, helping to dump Germany out of the tournament and announcing himself to a global audience in the process.

That kind of exposure comes at a price. Enciso is tied to Strasbourg on a long-term deal until 2030, and his current valuation sits at €25m, according to Transfermarkt. Any move back to Suffolk would demand serious backing from Ipswich’s hierarchy and a firm decision from Strasbourg on how far they are willing to cash in on one of their standout assets.

For O’Neil, the attraction is obvious: a versatile, decisive attacker he already trusts, a player who has delivered in France and on the World Cup stage, and someone who has shown he can adapt quickly to life at Portman Road. The question now is whether Ipswich are prepared to turn interest into a bid big enough to test Strasbourg’s resolve.