Chelsea set to raid Brighton for ANOTHER star

Suraj Radia

• 26 Jun 2024 11:00 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea could be set for ANOTHER raid of Brighton, with reports in Spain claiming that Enzo Maresca’s side are monitoring a player that has ‘dazzled’ in this summer’s Copa America.

The Blues have had a history of dealing with Brighton, from their hiring of Graham Potter and numerous executives to their purchases of players such as Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo.

And the trend could be set to continue, with Fichajes claiming that Chelsea have shown ‘great interest’ in Julio Enciso, who has displayed ‘immense potential’ with his performances for Paraguay in the Copa America.

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Enciso impressed in Paraguay’s opening game of the tournament, scoring his team’s only goal in their loss to Colombia, with the 20-year-old establishing himself a key player for his country.

The report claims that Enciso’s pricetag could rise to as high as €60 million if he continues his form in the tournament, with a number of major European clubs said to be interested.

Injuries limited Enciso to just 12 Premier League appearances last season but the forward has displayed his potential for Brighton, with the Seagulls seeing him as a key player for the future.

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Chelsea have been wide in their scope of a striker target this summer, with the likes of Victor Osimhen and Jhon Duran among the players considered.

However, the Blues are closing in on a move for Barcelona wonderkid Marc Guiu, with his €6m release clause set to be activated ahead of a switch to Stamford Bridge.

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STATS

Julio Enciso

F (RL), AM (L)

Brighton

Julio Enciso

F (RL), AM (L)

Brighton

All Tournaments

2023/24

• 15

  Games

• 0

  Goals

• 2

  Assists

View all stats

But Maresca is hoping for a more proven alternative to Nicolas Jackson and Enciso could perhaps represent that option despite his tender age and limited experience in the Premier League.

The youngster joined Brighton in 2022 and scored four times in his first season, including against Chelsea, but he missed six months of action last year after tearing his meniscus in August.