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Watershed days in the young Egyptian’s career
Egyptian striker Hamza Abdel Karim, 18, is entering a crucial stage in his Barcelona career as his future hinges on several transfer deals from sporting director Deco, although he has sacrificed his holiday to try to convince coach Hansi Flick of his abilities.
Catalan publication Sport reports that the coming weeks will be crucial in deciding the player’s fate, especially as the team prepare to travel to the East Midlands tomorrow, Monday, for their pre-season training camp at St George’s Park in the United Kingdom, where they will spend a full week preparing for the 2026/2027 season.
Sacrifice for opportunity
Abdel Karim, who played for Egypt at the last World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada, cut short his summer holiday two weeks ago to join Flick’s training, reflecting his serious desire to secure a place in the German coach’s draft.
The Egyptian striker started the training match against CE Europe in the number 9 shirt and performed well during the 45 minutes spent on the field, despite not scoring a single goal.
Promising talent with promising numbers
Abdel Karim is highly regarded in the corridors of Camp Nou due to his unique attacking style and ability to play with his back to goal, in addition to being a classic striker.
In just two months with Barcelona’s youth team last season, he scored six goals in 10 games, earning him his first call-up to the senior team, where he played 57 minutes in four games at the World Cup.
Management plan and multiple scenarios
The newspaper explained that the sports department’s plan is to keep the striker very close to the first team, where he will train regularly under Flick’s watch, play as a back-up striker when needed and join the reserve team during parts of the season when playing time is scarce.
It is also not excluded that he will be transferred on loan from the second division of Spain in order to gain experience in the higher league.
Deco deals determine fate
However, Abdel Karim’s future hinges heavily on Deco’s moves in the transfer market, with the sporting director still looking to secure an alternative to Robert Lewandowski, with Argentine Julian Alvarez the first target, despite Atletico Madrid’s insistence not to sell their star, which has left the coaching staff looking for alternatives.
In addition, European champion Ferran Torres’ future with Spain remains uncertain as his contract expires on June 30, 2027, and he has attracted interest from several clubs, most notably PSG under Luis Enrique, which could open up more opportunities for Abdel Karim if the Spaniard leaves.
