Ipswich Town Signs Julio Enciso and Abdoul Ouattara

Ipswich Town have gone back to a familiar well – and doubled down.

The promoted Premier League side have completed the signings of winger Julio Enciso and midfielder Abdoul Ouattara from Strasbourg, a twin deal that underlines just how aggressively the Tractor Boys are attacking life back in the top flight.

Both Enciso, 22, and Ouattara, 20, have signed five-year contracts at Portman Road. The combined fee could climb to £47.3m, a huge outlay built on a simple thread: Gary O'Neil knows exactly what he is buying.

Enciso returns to a club that lit him up

Enciso is no stranger in Suffolk. The Paraguay international spent the second half of last season on loan at Ipswich from Brighton, playing his part as O'Neil’s side surged to promotion before moving to Strasbourg in the summer.

Now he is back for good.

"I am so happy to be back at Ipswich Town," Enciso 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."

Three years at Brighton gave him a grounding in English football. The spell at Portman Road showed what he could be with regular minutes and trust. O'Neil, having coached him again in France, clearly saw enough to push Ipswich towards a long-term commitment.

Ouattara adds steel and European know-how

If Enciso brings familiarity, Ouattara brings something else: fresh legs, a different profile, and European experience.

The Ivorian midfielder made 45 appearances for Strasbourg in Ligue 1 and helped them reach the Uefa Conference League semi-finals last season. That sort of exposure at 20 is not easy to find, and Ipswich have moved before his price climbs higher.

"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.

He arrives as part of a clear plan. O'Neil has worked with both players in France, understands their personalities as much as their games, and now drops them into a squad already riding the momentum of back-to-back promotions.

Ipswich spending with intent

Since sealing promotion from the Championship, Ipswich have not tiptoed into the market. They have crashed through it.

The club’s spending has now hit £150m, with Enciso and Ouattara taking them to 12 major signings in this window. For a team that only recently climbed out of the second tier, those are numbers that belong to an ambitious, not merely grateful, newcomer.

Ipswich are not just aiming to survive in the Premier League. Deals like these say they intend to stay.