Yamal role awaited: Kompany's advice warns Barcelona's phenomenal talent
"... because they're from the TikTok generation!"
Jesse Bisiou needed no time at all to make his mark at Barcelona. Two goals on his latest friendly appearance did the job. What catches the eye even more, though, is that the Catalan club had made their minds up on the Belgian talent months earlier, having spotted a different kind of project worth backing.
Born in Leuven in 2008, Bisiou scored his first two goals in a Barcelona shirt during Sunday's friendly win over Basel. His name started turning heads just days after the move to the Catalan club.
From Basel to Barcelona: the beginning that revealed the talent
Four months ago, Switzerland hosted an important moment in his career. Joao Amaral, one of Deco's most prominent scouting assistants at Barcelona, met with Dennis te Kloese, then the sporting director of Club Brugge and now in the same role at Feyenoord.
Te Kloese revealed that other clubs were keen, but Barcelona wanted him most. They had spotted an exceptional talent, one who reminded him of the wingers that made the Ajax academy famous.
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A calm personality: charisma without arrogance
Amaral had run the rule over Bisiwu directly during Barcelona's UEFA Youth League semi-final against Benfica. A physical problem limited the player's minutes, but that did nothing to shake the conviction of Barcelona's officials. They pushed through the deal for 8 million euros, even though his market value sat below one million.
The newspaper AS said: "Rego, who followed Bisiwu's first steps in professional football, believes the player has a calm personality and great self-confidence without arrogance, and also described him as being popular inside the dressing room because of his friendly nature."
Bisiwu, 18, could strike up a special bond with Lamine Yamal, Rego added, tipping the Barcelona star to play the "older brother" role. The pair belong to the same generation, one he called the "TikTok generation". In Rego's view, Bisiwu boasts the exceptional talent of the "X Factor", plus the charisma to help him settle into life at Barcelona.
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Kompany's advice: don't believe the hype
Competition for minutes looks fierce, with Raphinha, Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Lamine Yamal all in the picture. Even so, Rego does not expect Bisseck to leave on loan this season.
Barcelona want to monitor his development closely this year, he said, both physically and personally. The second season, in his view, could prove more important when it comes to deciding his future.
For now, Rego warns the player not to get carried away by the hype that followed his two goals, quoting Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany: "Don't believe the hype, and don't believe the drama."
He also praised Bisseck's knack for blending speed with team play. That superb goal after Dani Olmo's pass came as no surprise to him. The task now falls to Hansi Flick to work out just how much he can get from the Belgian winger's talent.
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