Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg have confirmed the signing of Brighton forward Julio Enciso.
The Paraguay international, 21, has signed a four-year deal with the BlueCo outfit, and it is understood that the long-term plan is for him to join Chelsea.
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His transfer is reportedly worth £13.8m.
The Blues have a handful of players on loan at Strasbourg this season, including highly-rated young goalkeeper Mike Penders and Ecuadorian midfielder Kendry Paez.
Out-of-favour left-back Ben Chilwell has also been linked with an eleventh-hour move to the Alsace club, with the transfer window due to close in just a few hours.
Enciso will also link up with former Brighton teammate Valentin Barco, who joined the club earlier this summer.
Enciso launched his football career in his home nation of Paraguay before signing with Brighton in 2022. He managed just four goals in 44 League appearances before being sent on loan to Ipswich in the second half of last season.
He has now made a permanent move away from the south coast, though he could soon return to the Premier League with Chelsea should he impress at Strasbourg.
In doing so, he could follow in the footsteps of Andrey Santos, who spent last season on loan from Chelsea at the Ligue 1 outfit and is now playing a first-team role under Enzo Maresca.
He is already a regular in the Paraguay senior setup, having won 27 caps since making his debut at 17. He has also been nominated for both the Golden Boy and Puskas awards.
Another Brighton star has joined Chelsea today, as the club announced the loan signing of Facundo Buonanotte on Monday afternoon.
