At a glance
- Brighton sold Enciso last summer to Strasbourg
- Enciso ended this season in strong form
- 21 goal contributions across all competitions
Brighton’s recruitment model has earned global praise for spotting young talent before the rest of Europe catches on. But for every success story, there is always the risk of letting one go too early. That question is starting to emerge around Julio Enciso.
The Paraguayan forward has rediscovered form this season at Strasbourg, ending the season with one goal and four assists across his final three matches. His latest display saw him register three assists in Strasbourg’s final league game, reigniting discussion over whether Brighton may have moved too quickly in allowing him to leave. Across the entire campaign, Enciso has 12 goals and nine assists in all competitions.
For a player once seen as one of the brightest attacking prospects at the club, it raises a difficult question: are Brighton abandoning their own recruitment principles too soon?
Enciso’s Strasbourg form returns attention
Enciso arrived from Club Libertad in 2022 as one of South America’s most exciting young talents. His breakthrough under Roberto De Zerbi showed exactly why Brighton invested.
He brought unpredictability, flair and the kind of individual brilliance few players in the squad could replicate. His stunning long-range winner against Manchester City in 2023 remains one of the standout moments of Brighton’s recent rise.
At his best, Enciso offered something Brighton often lacked: a player capable of changing a game on his own. But injuries disrupted that progress.
A serious knee issue halted his momentum just as he was beginning to establish himself. By the time he returned, confidence had dipped and opportunities under Fabian Hurzeler became limited. Brighton opted to send him out on loan to Ipswich before selling him to Strasbourg last summer and now the move increasingly looks like a turning point.
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Brighton made the same error with Barco
There is a growing sense this situation mirrors what happened with Valentin Barco.
Barco arrived with huge expectation but was never given a real runway at Brighton. The timing worked against him. With established options already in his position, there was little appetite to carry a young player through the adaptation phase.
At Strasbourg, he quickly looked more comfortable. His technical quality became obvious once he was given rhythm and trust. Enciso may now be following the same path.
The concern is not that Brighton loaned him out. It is whether they decided too early that his future lied elsewhere.
Injury halted Brighton breakthrough
Brighton’s attack has often looked fluid this season, but it has lacked spontaneous creativity in tight matches. Enciso provides exactly that.
He can operate as a number 10, off either wing, or behind a striker. He carries the ball aggressively, takes risks in the final third and can unlock deep blocks with one action. Those qualities are difficult to coach and even harder to replace.
That is why his resurgence in France should not be ignored. Brighton’s model is built on patience. The club routinely signs players who need time to adapt physically and tactically before making a major impact. Enciso’s struggles came after a long injury layoff, not because his talent disappeared.
A familiar regret?
Brighton have built their success by trusting young players through inconsistent periods.
That faith paid off with players like Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Kaoru Mitoma, all of whom needed time before becoming central figures. Enciso deserved that same patience.
If he continues this trajectory, there is every chance the Seagulls will look back at another gifted youngster and wonder whether they gave up just as the breakthrough was arriving.
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