Chelsea transfer plan emerges after Brighton deal 'agreed'

BlueCo have reportedly reached an agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion to sign midfielder Julio Enciso, in a deal which could see him eventually sign for Chelsea.

The Athleticreports that the 21-year-old, who spent the second half of last season in the Premier League at Ipswich Town, is set to join Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg, who are also owned by BlueCo.

The report claims that the Paraguayan will initially join the French side but is "viewed as a long-term Chelsea player".

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Enciso joined Brighton from Libertad in his native Paraguay in 2022 and has since made more than 50 appearances across all competitions for the Seagulls.

However, after falling out of favour at the Amex under Fabian Hurzeler last term, the midfielder joined Ipswich Town on loan for the second half of the campaign.

During his time at Portman Road, Enciso made 13 appearances but was unable to prevent the Tractor Boys from being relegated to the Championship.

Chelsea have added a wealth of attacking talent to their ranks this summer, including Jamie Gittens, Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, and earlier this month, Enzo Maresca admitted he was happy with his side's business heading into the Premier League season.

"I'm very happy with our new signings because these are exactly the players we were looking for," he said. "Of course, they need time, and we are ready to give them the space to adapt."

Chelsea began the new season with a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.