Brugge Director: Yamal Will Guide Bisewu, Helping Him Settle at Barça

2026-08-18

Barça's new star, Jesse Bisewu, showcased his talent in a friendly match, scoring a brace, and the 18-year-old Belgian winger is expected to play a significant role in the team. According to AS, Brugge's sporting director, Devrim Rigo, who facilitated Bisewu's arrival along with Deco and João Amaral, stated: “He has a charismatic personality without being arrogant, and I believe Yamal will take him under his wing as they are around the same age.”

Bisewu has a unique connection with Switzerland. During a friendly in Basel, the young player, who idolizes Neymar, scored his first goal for Barça, drawing significant attention. However, it was four months ago that Switzerland proved to be a pivotal moment in his career. In Lausanne, Deco's assistant, João Amaral, met with then Brugge sporting director Rigo, who remarked: “Although other clubs showed interest, none were as determined as Barça. I see unparalleled potential in him; he is the type of winger Ajax often nurtures.” Despite Bisewu's market value being under €1 million, Barça paid €8 million to bring him in this summer.

Rigo proudly recalled: “I texted him after he scored on Sunday, and his reply was extremely professional. He is reserved, comes from a large family, is confident in his abilities yet remains humble. He gets along well in the dressing room because he is quite likeable; he even forgets to bring shin pads sometimes…” He believes there will be a special connection between Bisewu and Yamal: “Yamal will be like an older brother to him at Barça. They are of the same generation. Bisewu possesses a strong X-factor and appeal; I am confident he will integrate smoothly at Barça.”

Despite fierce competition for places, with players like Raphinha, Gordon, Adeyemi, and Yamal expected to feature, Rigo does not think Bisewu will be loaned out: “I believe Barça wants to assess his progress in training, both physically and in character development. Next year will likely be a critical time for key judgments.”

Rigo also offered advice to Bisewu: “Though I'm not from Anderlecht, I deeply resonate with a quote from Kompany: 'Don’t believe the hype and don’t get caught up in the circus.' Jesse needs to carve out his own path. He knows what he wants, and at his age, he is already remarkably focused.” With Bisewu's excellent form in Basel, Rigo noted: “He is not only quick but also able to link up well with teammates during possession, making that brilliant goal after a pass from Olmo no surprise.” Moving forward, more attention will be placed on this Belgian prodigy's potential development.