Madrid, Spain – FC Barcelona has begun taking steps to secure the future of young Egyptian striker Hamza Abdel Karim. This comes after the club entered into negotiations with the player and his representatives to amend the terms of his contract, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Barcelona had activated the option to buy Hamza Abdelkarim from Al Ahly of Egypt last June, following the end of his loan spell. The club then announced the signing of the 18-year-old on a contract until the summer of 2029.
The Catalan club’s move came after Hamza Abdelkarim’s impressive performances during preseason. These performances reinforced the coaching staff’s conviction of the importance of retaining his services for the coming years.
Romano explained that Barcelona is seeking to amend the Egyptian striker’s contract. A key element of the proposed changes is increasing his release clause, currently set at €15 million. Negotiations between the two parties are ongoing, but no final agreement has yet been reached.
Spanish journalist Gerard Romero had previously indicated that Barcelona’s management was considering raising the value of the penalty clause in Hamza Abdel Karim’s contract to 150 million euros.
The young player delivered outstanding performances during preseason, having declined to take a break after his participation with the Egyptian national team in the World Cup. Instead, he opted to join Barcelona’s preparations under coach Hansi Flick.
Hamza Abdelkarim played five friendly matches for Barcelona, scoring four goals. He netted a brace against Birmingham City, one goal against Basel, and another against his former club, Al Ahly of Egypt.
Barcelona are preparing for their first La Liga match against Elche on Sunday, in the second round of fixtures. This comes after their opening match against Athletic Bilbao was postponed to August 27 at the Camp Nou.
