Barca steps up for Jesse Bisiwu, one of the Brugge gems

FC Barcelona

The operation is no longer just in the monitoring phase. The Barcelona has moved again for the Brugge player after an initial proposal that the Belgian club deemed insufficient. The sporting leadership keeps the contacts open and is trying to narrow the gap in order to complete a signing that the Blaugrana club view as a priority.

The interest goes back a long way. Jesse Bisiwu, a 1.85-metre winger who could still gain more physical development, has been followed for months by Barcelona's coaches and other top European sides. His combination of power, projection and room for growth has especially convinced the Blaugrana structure.

The internal bet is also reflected in the names involved. Joao Amaral, head of scouting, and Deco, football director, have been directly involved in the operation. Both even travelled to Belgium to handle the matter in person with Brugge.

Meanwhile, the Belgian club does not want to easily lose a player it considers a future asset. Bisiwu's contract runs until 2027 and, although the player's preference would be to land at the Barça, Brugge has hardened its stance. A significant episode took place at the Youth League Final Four: despite being one of the team's standout players, he was a substitute in the semi-final against Real Madrid and only came on in stoppage time to play four minutes. The Belgian side ultimately lost in the penalty shootout.

A bet planned between the reserves and the first team

Barcelona's plan for Bisiwu would share points in common with the route chosen for Roony Bardghji, though with nuances. The Swede arrived at 19 and already had experience in Denmark's top division with Copenhagen, as well as minutes in the Champions League. In the Belgian's case, the idea would be to place him between the reserve team and the first team, with the option that Hansi Flick can keep a close eye on him if he confirms his progress.

The situation on the flanks also weighs in the analysis. Roony could leave this summer in search of more prominence and Dani Rodríguez, another winger with projection, has already been transferred to Dinamo Zagreb. That combination of moves creates space for young profiles, although the club continues to measure each decision carefully.

At the same time, the name of Jan Virgili appears, a 19-year-old. The Vilassar de Mar player is another option to strengthen the wide areas, since the drop of Mallorca left his clause at 12 million euros. As Barcelona retains the 40% of his rights, the deal would be around 7 million. If the signing of Bisiwu moves forward, interest in Virgili could be affected because not everyone would have a place.

Recruiting young talent has become a marked line within the club. In the last winter transfer window, the club already bet on Hamza Abdelkarim, Patricio Pacífico, Ajay Tavares and Juwensley Onstein. More recently, the club completed the signings of Joni Hernández and Juan Ybarra, both coming from Tenerife, and days earlier they had also brought in Josué Caicedo, Ignasi Quer and Javi Castro.