STRASBOURG, France (AP) 鈥� Real Madrid sold center forward Jacobo Ortega on Monday to French club Strasbourg, which recouped more then five times the transfer fee by selling two players to Ipswich.
Strasbourg, , is under financial scrutiny from UEFA and its for overspending was the biggest imposed by the European soccer body on any club last season.
The 20-year-old Ortega cost a reported 10 million euros ($11.6 million) from Madrid to help replace Paraguay forward Julio Enciso, who , where he spent time on loan two seasons ago when the club was last in the Premier League.
Enciso started all five Paraguay games at the World Cup and scored against . He also featured in an and a in the round of 16.
it also signed Strasbourg’s 20-year-old midfielder Abdoul Ouattara, with the two deals reportedly costing a combined 50 million euros ($58 million).
Enciso and Ouattara signed five-year contracts, Ipswich said, and reunite with coach Gary O’Neil, who was at Strasbourg for the second half of last season.
Strasbourg’s offseason transfer trading now shows a profit of about 80 million euros ($92 million), after being advised by UEFA to 鈥渟ignificantly decrease鈥� player costs in 2026.
Two significant sales have been to parent club Chelsea, who signed Strasbourg captain Emmanuel Emegha and Argentina midfielder Valent铆n Barco.
Madrid did not provide any details about the deal for Ortega, in the UEFA Youth League final against Club Brugge in Lausanne last season. After a 1-1 draw, Madrid won the title 鈥� effectively the Champions League for under-19 teams 鈥� in a penalty shootout.
Strasbourg said Ortega, who never played for the Madrid first team, signed a five-year contract.
The French club also signed U.S. midfielder Gio Reyna from this month.
Strasbourg reached the Conference League semifinals last season and placed eighth in Ligue 1, but did not qualify for any of UEFA’s European competitions.
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