Barcelona unlikely to re-sign former academy starlet after wrapping up Jesse Bisiwu deal | OneFootball

FC Barcelona’s move for Jesse Bisiwu appears to have effectively closed the door on a possible return for former academy winger Jan Virgili.

The 19-year-old has been on Barca’s radar after an encouraging first season in professional football with Mallorca, and his representatives even met Deco earlier this summer to discuss his situation.

According to Mundo Deportivo, however, Barcelona now consider a return increasingly unlikely following the agreement to sign Bisiwu from Club Brugge.

Bisiwu signing changes Barcelona’s attacking plans

The issue is mainly one of profile and squad space.

Virgili and Bisiwu are both young wide attackers who would be expected to develop within the first-team structure rather than arrive as guaranteed starters. With Barca committing €8.5 million to the Belgian, the need to make another similar investment has largely disappeared.

Bisiwu is expected to work around Hansi Flick’s senior squad while also getting minutes with Barca Atletic when necessary, giving the club a flexible development plan for the 18-year-old.

That makes Virgili’s pathway back to Barcelona much more difficult.

The Catalan winger had been among the options considered to strengthen the attack, and his €7 million price would even have been slightly lower than the cost of the Bisiwu operation. However, Barca have now made their choice.

Virgili must look elsewhere for his next step

Mallorca remain confident in the youngster and have reportedly offered him a new contract after a positive debut campaign.

Other European clubs are also monitoring his situation, so he should still have attractive options if he decides to move.

From Barcelona’s perspective, this is another example of how quickly transfer planning can change.

Virgili may still be a player the club admire, but signing every talented former academy product back is neither realistic nor sensible. Once Barca committed heavily to Bisiwu, pursuing another winger of a similar age and at a similar stage of development became difficult to justify.

That does not mean the decision will necessarily prove right in the long term. Virgili could continue developing elsewhere and eventually become a player Barca regret losing.

However, for now, the sporting department has clearly placed its bet on Bisiwu.