Ipswich Town Signs Julio Enciso and Abdoul Ouattara
Ipswich Town’s Premier League statement just got louder.
The Tractor Boys have landed winger Julio Enciso and midfielder Abdoul Ouattara from Strasbourg, a double move that underlines the club’s refusal to simply make up the numbers on their top-flight return.
Both players, already familiar faces to boss Gary O'Neil from their time together in France, have signed five-year deals at Portman Road. The combined fee is reported to have the potential to rise to £47.3m, a figure that would have been unthinkable at Ipswich not long ago.
Enciso returns to a club he already knows
For Julio Enciso, this is not a leap into the unknown. It is a homecoming.
The Paraguay international, 22, spent the second half of the 2024-25 season on loan at Ipswich from Brighton, playing his part as the club surged back into the Premier League before moving to Strasbourg.
"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."
Ipswich know exactly what they are getting: a direct, fearless wide player who already understands the demands of O'Neil’s system and the expectations of the Portman Road crowd. This is continuity with a transfer fee attached.
Ouattara brings European pedigree
If Enciso is the familiar face, Abdoul Ouattara is the fresh edge.
The 20-year-old Ivorian midfielder arrives after a breakout campaign at Strasbourg, where he made 45 appearances in Ligue 1 and helped drive the club to the Uefa Conference League semi-finals last season.
"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.
Those “good experiences” include high-pressure European nights and a full season of top-flight football in France, an education that should translate well to the intensity of the Premier League.
Ipswich spending with intent
The scale of Ipswich’s ambition is now impossible to ignore. Since clinching promotion from the Championship last season, the club have spent around £150m, with Enciso and Ouattara taking their tally to 12 major signings.
This is not a club simply patching holes. It is one building a core for the next five years, with two more players tied down on long-term contracts, both entering or approaching their prime.
Promotion was the first shock. The transfer strategy suggests Ipswich intend the second surprise to be how long they stay.
