Deal close: Who is Brighton's £6m South American transfer target, how likely is the deal and what his club president said?

Albion in the closing stages of completing a deal for 18-year-old Paraguay international Julio Enciso for £6m from Primera División outfit Club Libertad on a five-year deal.

The attacking midfield player has scored 10 goals and bagged five assists in 51 appearances for the Paraguayan outfit and has already represented his country twice at international level.

Enciso is tipped as one of South America's finest young talents and made his debut for Club Libertad at just 15-years-of age.

He played for Paraguay at the 2019 South American under-15 Championship and made rapid progress to the senior Paraguay team and made his full debut in a 3–1 2021 Copa América win over Bolivia in June last year at the age of 18.

Ensico also became the youngest player to ever score in the Copa Libertadores this century,

The 5ft 6in midfielder joined Club Libertad as an 11-year-old and although they are reluctant to lose their star player the club president Rubén Di Tore admits Enciso is destined to move at some stage to a major European league. If not January then possibly the summer.

“There is Brighton’s proposal for Enciso," said Di Tore recently to Paraguay outlet VERSUS.

"We are analysing it. We don’t want to sell him just to sell him, but we also don’t want to cut off the possibility of him playing in one of the best leagues in the world.

“If he doesn’t leave now, he will leave later. I see him with more possibilities [to leave] in the next semester [summer], but we will continue analysing."

How likely is Julio Enciso deal?

Very likely. Albion have been tracking the winger/striker for some time and fits in perfectly with Albion's transfer strategy of signing talented young players with huge potential.

Enciso is said to want to join a club that operates in the best and most lucrative league in the world and Albion's reputation for developing and offering first team opportunities to young players is very appealing.

The Indy understands Club Libertad wanted £8m, Albion were offering £4m and it appears they have met somewhere in the middle to strike a £6m deal. I expect this deal to be announced in the coming days.

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