Back in April, it was said that Arsenal sent Everton Gushiken to Paraguay to watch Julio Enciso in action for Club Libertad.
The Gunners also asked their scout to take a look at Alexis Duarte – now, he is the only prospect left available, after Brighton announced the signing of Enciso.
What’s the story?
Well, the Seagulls were also attracted to the 18-year-old’s talents, and clearly showed more desire to get a deal done now.
Brighton have signed Enciso for a sum believed to be £9.5m, with the teenager putting pen to paper on a four-year contract.
Interestingly, Brighton wanted him to sign a five-year deal, but the Paraguay international preferred a four-year contract, according to The Athletic.
Brighton came close to signing the South American wonderkid in January, although the deal collapsed due to disagreements over personal terms.
Now, Arsenal will have to wait and see if Enciso makes them kick themselves for missing out on his signature.
On the basis of what the prodigy has done so far, we believe he will shine in the Premier League.
Enciso has already amassed five caps for Paraguay, while he scored 11 goals in just 14 games in the Primera División Apertura this season.
Julio Enciso deal shouldn’t upset Arsenal fans
At the moment, Arsenal fans have bigger things to focus on than missing out on a Paraguayan wonderkid to Brighton.
While it would’ve been nice to land him, Mikel Arteta has just secured a deal for Porto playmaker Fabio Vieira, while The Times believe a £50m move for Gabriel Jesus is edging closer.
The Gunners are also trying to sign Leicester maestro Youri Tielemans, so it looks set to be a busy summer at the Emirates Stadium.
A deal for Enciso would’ve been the icing on the cake, but clearly, Arteta is focused on adding more experienced players to his group of young gems.
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