Such displays saw Wu quickly establish himself in the starting XI alongside 'Los Pericos' top scorer Borja Iglesias. His first LaLiga Santander goal came with a well-timed run behind the defence and neat finish to seal a 3-1 win at home to Real Valladolid. With this goal, the former Shanghai SIPG star became the first Chinese player to score in any of Europe’s top five leagues for 10 years.

Just one defeat in Wu’s first seven LaLiga games has propelled Espanyol back into the conversation for Europa League qualification next term. His impact at the RCDE Stadium has also made headlines back home, where he was already well known as the all-time top goalscorer in Chinese Super League history (102) and a scorer of 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for China. Visiting China recently, LaLiga president Javier Tebas spoke of how Wu’s exploits at Espanyol are already helping solidify links between football in the two countries.

The Chinese star’s next challenge, this weekend, is to improve his club's record against Messi’s Barça. It is now a decade since Espanyol won at the Camp Nou: a 2-1 victory in February 2009. A winning 'Catalan capital derby' goal would ensure Wu's eternal status as a Pericos hero.

Watch FC Barcelona vs RCD Espanyol this Sunday morning on BeIN Sports.