 He was then loaned out to FC Ebedei, being successively signed in the summer of 1998 by Belgian Second Division side Molenbeek.Noted by Carlo Regalia, scout of then-Serie A club Bari, he was then signed in 1999 by the "galletti" in a 200mln ₤ bid, and initially joined the Under-20 "Primavera" squad, where he formed a striking partnership with a young Antonio Cassano.He marked his Serie A debut on October 17, 1999 in a home match against Torino.