Barcelona’s long-term project convinced Jesse Bissio to join, says agent

Barcelona’s commitment to developing young players was the decisive factor behind Jesse Bissio’s move to the Spanish club, according to the 18-year-old Belgian winger’s agent, Mobindi Marthe.

Barcelona officially announced the signing in recent days, with Bissio agreeing a contract that runs until 30 June 2031. He is the fourth attacking addition made by the club this summer, following Anthony Gordon, Hamza Abdelkarim and Karim Adeyemi.

Marthe said the nature of Barcelona’s plans, together with the seriousness shown during negotiations, made the club stand out from the other options available to his client.

“Barcelona presented us with a project that demonstrates the club’s commitment to developing young talent. The club’s commitment and its outstanding record in developing players are the clearest evidence of that,” Marthe told Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo.

The agent said Bissio’s priority throughout the process was to assess each proposal carefully, rather than base his decision on one individual factor.

“His priority throughout the negotiations was to ensure that all aspects of the different projects presented to him were carefully evaluated, with his long-term future placed first,” said Marthe.

He added that the decision was based on finding the right conditions for Bissio’s wider development, both professionally and personally.

“The decision was not based on a single factor, but on finding the best environment to support his development, both as a footballer and as a young man,” Marthe said.

Bissio’s representative also paid tribute to Club Brugge, where the player made significant progress in recent years. He said the Belgian club had played an important part in helping the teenager reach the next stage of his career.

“Jesse Bissio has developed significantly at Club Brugge. We are very grateful to the club and to everyone who contributed to his development over the past few years and helped him reach this stage of his football career,” Marthe said.

Bissio will now turn his attention to settling into life at Barcelona and beginning work with his new club.

“He is now fully focused on working hard every day, integrating into the club in the best possible way and giving everything he can for Barcelona,” Marthe added.

The signing reflects Barcelona’s renewed approach of targeting promising young players as part of an effort to build a new generation capable of competing domestically and in Europe over the coming years.

The club’s latest recruitment strategy places emphasis on potential and long-term development, with Bissio becoming the latest young attacking player brought in as Barcelona continue to shape their squad for the future.