Barcelona’s Jesse Bisiwu told to ignore the noise after Basel double

Jesse Bisiwu made an immediate impression at Barcelona by scoring twice in a friendly win over Basel on Sunday, but the club had already decided months earlier that the Belgian winger was a special project worth investing in.

The 18-year-old, who was born in Leuven in 2008, scored his first goals for Barcelona just days after joining the Catalan club. His performance has quickly drawn attention, although Barcelona’s interest in him stretches back well before his eye-catching debut.

Four months ago, Joao Amaral, one of Deco’s leading scouting assistants at Barcelona, met Davy Rigaux in Switzerland. Rigaux was sporting director of Club Brugge at the time and now holds the same position at Feyenoord.

Rigaux said several clubs had shown interest in Bisiwu, but Barcelona were the most determined to complete the deal. The Spanish club reportedly viewed him as an exceptional talent who recalled the type of winger associated with the Ajax academy.

Amaral had watched Bisiwu in person during the semi-final of the UEFA Youth League against Benfica. The winger played only a limited part in that match because of a physical problem, but that did not weaken Barcelona’s conviction that he was worth pursuing.

Barcelona ultimately completed the transfer for €8m, despite Bisiwu’s market value being below €1m at the time.

Rigaux, who followed the player’s early steps in professional football, believes Bisiwu combines a calm personality with considerable self-confidence, without allowing that confidence to become arrogance. He also described the teenager as a popular figure in the dressing room because of his friendly nature.

The former Club Brugge sporting director believes Bisiwu could establish a particularly close relationship with Lamine Yamal. He expects Barcelona’s established young star to act as an “older brother” to the Belgian, with both players belonging to what Rigaux called the “TikTok generation”.

Rigaux also highlighted Bisiwu’s unusual talent and charisma, qualities he believes could help the winger adapt to life at Barcelona. He described the player as possessing an exceptional “X Factor”, as well as the personality needed to fit into the club’s environment.

Bisiwu faces strong competition for playing time this season. Barcelona’s attacking options include Raphinha, Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Lamine Yamal, meaning opportunities are unlikely to come easily.

However, Rigaux does not expect Bisiwu to leave on loan during the current campaign. He said Barcelona wanted to monitor the player closely throughout the year, including his physical and personal development, before making more significant decisions about his future.

In Rigaux’s view, the second season could prove more important when it comes to assessing Bisiwu’s long-term place at the club.

For now, he has advised the youngster not to become carried away by the attention generated by his two goals against Basel. Rigaux referred to advice from Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany: “Don’t believe the hype, don’t believe the drama.”

Rigaux also praised Bisiwu’s ability to combine pace with an understanding of team play. He said the winger’s impressive goal after a pass from Dani Olmo did not surprise him, given what he had already seen from the player.

The next challenge will be for Barcelona manager Hansi Flick to determine how much he can use Bisiwu’s qualities as the Belgian begins his first season with the club.