Barcelona have reached a full agreement to sign 18-year-old winger Jesse Bisiwu from Club Bruges after weeks of negotiations, according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano.
The Catalan club had been tracking the Belgian-Ghanaian forward for several weeks before finalising the transfer with the Belgian side. Romano reports that the two clubs have now settled on all terms, clearing the way for Bisiwu to move to Spain.
Transfer fee and sell-on clause
Club Bruges initially turned down a first Barcelona offer of €10m for the teenager, but talks later produced a lower fixed fee with significant add-ons for the Belgian club.
The deal has been agreed at €8.5m, Romano says, with Bruges also securing a 20% sell-on clause on any future transfer. That clause ensures the Belgian side will benefit financially if Bisiwu’s value grows and he earns a move away from Barcelona later in his career.
Bisiwu, who is currently valued at €800,000 by football data site Transfermarkt, will therefore join Barca for a fee more than 10 times higher than his estimated market value.
Pathway through Barcelona’s reserve side
Although he is regarded as a signing for the future, Barcelona are expected to bring Bisiwu straight into their competitive structure rather than leaving him on loan.
His development is due to begin with Barca Atletic, the club’s reserve team, where he will be eased into Spanish football. However, the route to the senior side under new coach Hansi Flick is understood to be very much open as early as the coming season.
Club staff are already considering the possibility of giving the youngster his first minutes with the first team, depending on how he adapts and performs in training and competitive matches for the reserves.
Chance to impress Flick in pre-season
Bisiwu could make an immediate audition for a senior role under Flick, with Barcelona planning to involve him in their pre-season preparations.
The winger is expected to be part of the squad for Barca’s pre-season camp in England, where he will have the opportunity to train under Flick for the first time and potentially feature in friendly matches.
The club hopes that integrating him early into first-team dynamics will accelerate his adaptation and help assess how quickly he can contribute at the highest level.
Long-term investment
Barcelona’s move for Bisiwu fits a wider strategy of targeting young, relatively low-cost talents with high potential resale value at a time when the club continues to manage tight financial constraints.
By agreeing a sizeable sell-on clause, Club Bruges retain a strong interest in Bisiwu’s future development, while Barcelona secure a promising wide player who can be nurtured through their system with an eye on both sporting impact and future market value.
The transfer will be completed once all formalities are finalised, with Bisiwu set to begin his Barcelona career in Catalonia before joining up with the squad for pre-season.
