'He reacts to his role' – Fabian Hurzeler issues Julio Enciso update amid West Ham transfer link

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler challenged Julio Enciso “to get in his head” ahead of this Saturday’s trip to Chelsea.

Enciso, 20, is yet to start a Premier League match for the Seagulls this term and had a disrupted pre-season due to his involvement in the Olympics and the Copa America with Paraguay.

The playmaker is reportedly of interest to West Ham, who are said to be preparing a £35m bid for Enciso – who has two-years remaining on his current Brighton contract. According to Pedro Aldave, Enciso's agent, there is a good relationship with Brighton for a possible contract renewal.

The Seagulls do have an abundance of attacking options as the likes of Enciso, Kaoru Mitoma, Simon Adingra, Yankuba Minteh, Joao Pedro, Evan Ferguson, Danny Welbeck, Georginio Rutter and Solly March (once he’s fit) compete for minutes.

“On the one side, some players are so good because of their individual things, like Joao Pedro, Julio Enciso, also Mitoma,” said Hurzeler, speaking ahead of Brighton’s trip to Chelsea. “They can do special things by doing their own things.

“You have to give them also the freedom because, in the end, they can make the difference. On the other side, it is very important that everyone understands my principles, that everyone understands it will only be successful if you work together as a team.

“I think Julio is improving in these things. He is trying to develop in these things. We are working hard with him. We show it to him after every game, after every minute that he is playing, where he can improve.

“That is our job, to make him better. And it is also the responsibility for the player. How he accepts his role at the moment, how he reacts to his role. Is he disappointed and then shows his disappointment and also trains not good?

“Or is he like, ‘Alright, now I want to show it to everyone and show it to myself how good I am and show it to the gaffer how good I am, that I am in the gaffer’s head’? In the end this has to be the goal for every player who is not starting at the moment, to be in my head.

“You are only in my head if you train good, if you are the best version of yourself every day here on the training pitch.”

Aldave, speaking to @SomosVersusPY, said: "Julio did not do the preseason (due to his injury) and they are looking after him at Brighton. He played the time he came after playing with the national team."