Barcelona's Plan for Jesse Bisiwu Amid Visa Delays

Barcelona are refusing to let bureaucracy slow down Jesse Bisiwu.

The Belgian teenager is still waiting on visa procedures before La Liga will authorise his registration, but instead of parking him on the sidelines, the club have built a clear pathway into Hansi Flick’s first team.

Bureaucracy bites, Barça adjust

As reported by Mundo Deportivo, Bisiwu is training with Barça Atlètic while the paperwork drags on. At 18, those sessions – and, crucially, minutes on the pitch – matter more than a place in the stands at the Olympic Stadium.

So Barcelona have made a simple call: if he cannot play in La Liga yet, he will play for the reserves.

Bisiwu is expected to start for Barça Atlètic in a friendly against Reus on Wednesday, August 26, a fixture designed to help him settle into his new environment and get used to the club’s demands on the pitch. It is a soft landing into a very hard school.

His absence from the La Liga opener against Elche had nothing to do with Flick’s opinion of him. The German coach had considered calling him up, but the club simply could not complete his registration in time due to the ongoing administrative process.

An awkward beginning, yes. A wasted one, no.

A plan behind the delay

Barcelona are determined that this bureaucratic snag does not derail his development. By playing with Barça Atlètic, Bisiwu keeps his match rhythm, learns the positional play and intensity the club expect, and starts to absorb the style that runs through the first team.

Starting against Reus is another step in sharpening his competitive edge while the off-field situation is resolved.

Formally, Bisiwu is registered with the reserve team. Strategically, the club see that as a tool, not a demotion. It gives them flexibility: when first-team opportunities are scarce, he can still play official games with Barça Atlètic instead of watching from the bench or missing out entirely.

That structure lets Barcelona control the pace of his growth while keeping him firmly linked to Flick’s long-term plans.

Once the visa procedures are completed and La Liga give the green light, Bisiwu is expected to rejoin first-team training and continue his integration into the senior group.

For now, the route is clear: Barça Atlètic today, Flick’s dressing room tomorrow.