Julio Enciso’s name has been bouncing around the rumour mill for months, but suddenly the stories feel like they could be heading towards an actual conclusion, with Palmeiras now making a real push.
Paraguayan journalists Christian Pérez and Andrés Rolón report that the Brazilian champions are “all in” for him, actively working to sign the Brighton & Hove Albion forward.
It’s the same pair who first broke the Ramón Sosa-to-Palmeiras move from Nottingham Forest, so they’ve got form when it comes to this particular transfer corridor.
Brighton, however, aren’t looking to make it easy. As we covered earlier, the Premier League club are said to want at least €20m for the winger, a price tag Palmeiras would struggle to meet.
Also, Enciso has repeatedly made it clear he doesn’t want to leave Europe at this stage of his career – but Palmeiras are a club that recently played in the FIFA Club World Cup and have huge projection across the continent, which could help their case.
But there are a couple of sidenotes that make this rumour feel more concrete. Enciso has been spotted multiple times on social media wearing Palmeiras shirts – often with the name of compatriot Gustavo Gómez, the club’s captain and Paraguay skipper, who could play a key role in swaying his decision.
On top of that, a Brighton delegation recently visited Palmeiras’ training ground, unrelated to this negotiation, but a curious coincidence as the links continue to heat up.
For now, this lead feels far more solid than the endless speculation that has surrounded Enciso in recent months.