Ipswich Town have gone back to the well — and this time they’ve come away with two. Gary O’Neil has reunited with a pair of familiar faces in a statement double deal that shows exactly where the Tractor Boys’ ambition lies this summer.
Ipswich Town have completed the signings of Julio Enciso and Abdoul Ouattara from Strasbourg, with both players reuniting with manager Gary O’Neil at Portman Road.
A Manager Who Knows Exactly What He’s Getting
This isn’t a punt in the dark. O’Neil managed both players at Strasbourg last season before taking the Ipswich job in the close-season, and that inside knowledge appears to have fast-tracked both deals. When you already know a player’s habits, character and ceiling from working with them every day, the risk that usually comes with a big-money transfer window largely disappears.
For Ipswich, freshly promoted and building for a proper crack at Premier League survival, that kind of certainty is priceless.
Enciso: The One Who Got Away Comes Home
Julio Enciso’s return to Portman Road carries extra weight. The Paraguayan winger already spent six months on loan at Ipswich in 2025, scoring twice during the club’s ultimately unsuccessful fight against relegation. He left an impression that clearly lingered — and now, in a deal worth a reported £25million, he’s back for good.
Enciso arrives fresh off representing Paraguay at the World Cup and having earned a new contract at Strasbourg after catching O’Neil’s eye during his loan spell in France. He’s an attacking midfielder capable of playing across the front line, and his own words make clear this is a move he wanted:
“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,” Enciso said, adding that working under O’Neil again at “a great club like Ipswich” was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.
Ouattara: The Versatile Wildcard
Alongside Enciso comes Abdoul Ouattara, a 20-year-old Ivorian talent who’s rapidly become one of French football’s most intriguing prospects. Capable of playing right-back, left-back, wing-back or central midfield, Ouattara offers O’Neil the kind of tactical flexibility that can prove invaluable across a gruelling 38-game Premier League season.
He came through Strasbourg’s academy after moving to France from the Ivory Coast at just 10 years old, breaking into the first team last season and quickly establishing himself as a regular. His ability to slot into multiple positions without missing a beat made him a key figure in Strasbourg’s run to the UEFA Conference League semi-finals — and now that adaptability belongs to Ipswich.
Why This Double Deal Matters
Two signings from the same club, both plucked by a manager who knows them inside out, sends a clear message: Ipswich aren’t rebuilding cautiously — they’re building with conviction. Between the returning fan-favourite in Enciso and the athletic, multi-position asset in Ouattara, O’Neil has strengthened two different areas of his squad in one swoop.
With the Premier League season fast approaching, Ipswich fans have every reason to be excited — their manager has already shown he knows exactly where to shop, and exactly who to bring with him.
