When a young teenager moves to England from South America, there is a lot of hype surrounding him. The same was the case with 18-year-old Julio Cesar Enciso. Who might you ask? The latest addition to the long list of talents that Graham Potter has amassed with Brighton willing to challenge Europe.
The director has been working on wonders with The Seagulls, and Enciso is a talent waiting to appear on the scene.
Read also: How Graham Potter became a star in the management world
Official: Paraguay’s 18-year-old striker Julio Inciso has left for Brighton & Hove Albion according to Libertad club president Dr Ruben de Toure.
At a fee of around £10m, this would be the largest ever transfer fee for a Paraguayan player from the domestic league. #BAFC 🇵🇾✈️🏴 pic.twitter.com/ApbuXVFVE5
– Roberto Rojas (@RobertoRojas97) 8 June 2022
The striker, who plays in Paraguay’s top flight, was the league champion with Libertad in 2021. Enciso has the potential to follow in the footsteps of other Brighton youth stars to lead the Premier League. Although there are question marks about his fitness and the amount of time he will have in the game, Potter is not averse to playing with youngsters.
Looks like Julio Enciso is headed to Brighton.
Enciso for Libertad at the age of 18:
☑️72 games
⚽️25 goals
🅰️8 . passesAnother very exciting move by The Seagull! pic.twitter.com/vzzByoYNdW
Football talent scout – Jacek College (FTalentScout) June 9, 2022
Enciso will go out to prove that he can do so on the biggest stages in world football and has one of the best environments to boost his game.
Playing career so far
Julio Enciso is a class of 2004, with star peers such as Barcelona midfielder Gavi and MLS goalkeeper prodigy Gabriel ‘Gaga’ Slonina. Enciso started his footballing journey with his hometown club Caaguaza.
Here are the must-know facts about Gaga Slonina that football fans need to know!
He signed with his current club Libertad when he was 11 years old. Libertad are one of the most successful teams in Paraguay, and having them take a kick on Enciso was a big deal.
Debut Absoluto de la Joya.
Julio Inchizo 👏🏼👏🏼💪🏻 🇵🇾
Se vienen más minutos en la Tweet embed. Ojala!
🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/ioyZjQLZ3BLibertad’s Tweets. (Libertad_Tweets) June 15, 2021
His debut came on March 17, 2019 when he was 15 years old. Libertad beat Deportivo Santani 4-0, and Inciso became the youngest debutant in the club’s history. Furthermore, he also won the Paraguayan Cup that season with Libertad.
2019 also saw Enciso make his Paraguay debut. He was part of the team that played in the South American U-15 Championship that year.
Julio Inchizo
17 years.
✅ 31 first-class pieces, 5 grooves and 1 auxiliary.
✅ 2 ⚽️ en Copa Libertadores en 4 partidos jugados.
✅ 1 🅰️ en Copa Sudamericana en 2 partidos jugados.
^ Campeón con Libertad.
✅ For the first time con la Selección Paraguaya en Copa América.
Show the future. pic.twitter.com/6kJOtd4wAo
– Abraham Acosta (@Acostaabraham99) June 15, 2021
Inchizu’s first arc came at the 2021 Copa America, in a 3-1 win over Bolivia, making him the fifth youngest player ever.
Now it looks like he’s ready to take Brighton by storm, reviewing why there’s been so much talk about him. Enciso has shown that he is not afraid of challenges, moving to England at such a young age to play in the Premier League.
Julio Enciso’s stats
Enciso has developed well with Club Libertard since 2019, scoring six goals to make four assists in the championship-winning 2021 season. Enciso topped it with 11 goals and three assists in 2022. The most surprising fact was that his 2021 tally came from 30 games, while his 2022 tally was from just 14.
Prior to his injury last month, Inciso scored 11 goals (like this one) in 17 games in all competitions in which he was the top scorer in the Paraguayan League for the majority of the 2022 season.
He leaves Libertad after 69 games and 21 goals. pic.twitter.com/vT2ID7IPh0
– Roberto Rojas (@RobertoRojas97) 8 June 2022
This indicates the increase in abundance in front of goal. Enciso is an expert in finding spaces, and his speed and change of direction cause problems for all opponents. Speaking in 2021, Enciso revealed his intention to travel abroad, saying:
“I would like to play in Europe. That is my goal.”
He’s finally got his chance with Brighton, and there are many things to keep him excited. Enciso loves to dribble and walk around the field to catch the ball.
Moreover, he played centrally and in wide areas. Libertard used it as No. 10 as well, taking on the creative role. However, this position does not have much room for Enciso to showcase his full talents. Therefore, it is better to make him one of the farthest players on the field.
Julio Inchizo Scout Report
Enciso showed the critical nature needed to become one of the top scorers. He loves to get into the penalty area and make life difficult for opponents. The Enciso’s low center of gravity means he can slip away from his marks quickly.
Therefore, it came as no surprise that Libertad was the most productive team in the First Division in 2022 with 35 goals and 24 assists. Enciso’s biggest asset is his electric speed and ability to get past previous defenders.
Final 1er timepo
Nacional 0-1 # libertad
^ Julio Inciso# AperturaAPF2021#famusgoma pic.twitter.com/TsNmxBLcwy– Club Libertad (Libertad_Guma) February 22, 2021
This means that he is the main threat to his team during counterattacks. Teams fear losing possession on the field, knowing Enciso could turn the tide. He regularly went up against bigger players, using his superb skills in close control and ball retention.
Another interesting aspect of his game is how aware he is of the offside trap. Enciso makes sloping, curved tracks, ensuring that he stays on the side as long as possible. With the combinations of energy and dynamism he exudes, Enciso is always a threat whenever Libertad grabs the ball.
Julio Enciso, la joya Gumarela en Tweet embed: “Llegué a los 13 años a # libertadjugué en la Sub 14, se había hecho una prueba en Caaguazú, Roberto Paredes me había visto y me trajo al Club”. #VersusRadio Tweet embed pic.twitter.com/MBOgTFYSCa
– Oscar Lial May 27, 2021
However, one obvious area of improvement is its physicality. Enciso is still only 18, so there’s plenty of time to get in shape.
However, he was bullied by the ball several times and was not skilled at winning aerial duels. The physical aspect will be a focus at Brighton, given how competitive and challenging the Premier League is.
What makes it special
The talent and potential shown inside Julio Enciso are obvious. He has the attributes of success in the English Premier League and Europe. The player set himself big goals, and this helps when you learn from one of Paraguay’s greatest.
La primera costó G. 2.000
La última, no tiene precio. pic.twitter.com/3HjoZOfLwt– Pasapelota 📸 (@PASAPEL0TA) 10 June 2022
Oscar Cardoso has had a great career in Europe, especially with Benfica, and he has taken Insezzo under his care. As Enciso himself stated,
“Cardozo has really gone through everything in his career, and he guides me on and off the field. Cardoso brings us his experience, wisdom and a few secrets. He is a relentless goalscorer and is also a great person; I am happy to have him by my side.”
The left-footed veteran knows a thing or two about succeeding in challenging environments, which will undoubtedly challenge the Enciso.
06/21/14 Gloria A Deuce 🙏🏻😭 #CopaAmerica2021 pic.twitter.com/x0MrT7oEkK
– julio Enciso (@julioEnciso33) June 15, 2021
Defenses are more aware, and signs are harder to get rid of. However, Enciso should make it easy to set up well, given its willingness to learn and improve. Enciso has a great shot on him, even on his weakest foot, and he’ll look to impress in training first. Whether that translates to normal playing time will be seen later.
Potential Julian Enciso
Enciso made a wise choice, going to Brighton. Potter has a history of working with young talents and developing them into excellent players. He has already done so with Tariq Lamptey, Eve Bisoma, Enoch Mwepo, Mark Cucurella, Aaron Connelly and Alexis McAllister among many others.
Gran gol de Julio Enciso que coloca al Gumarelo al frente del marcador.
📺 100 HD – Tigo
¡Disfrutá del # AperturaAPF2022 Power Tiggo Sports! pic.twitter.com/WrVjdZK1to
TigoSportsPY April 21, 2022
Enciso will be inspired by the likes of Mpewu and Moises Caicedo, who are off to a good start in their careers. He could see some action on loan in his first season, given that the Premier League presents an uphill challenge for youngsters from South America.
However, Enciso is shaping up to be one for the future, with Danny Welbeck entering twilight. Brighton have a future superstar on their hands and they will put it to good use.