Barcelona Activates Purchase Option for 18-Year-Old Egyptian Prospect Hamza Abdelkarim

FC Barcelona have completed the permanent transfer of Hamza Abdelkarim by activating the purchase clause included in his loan deal with the Barcelona U19s. Egyptian club Al Ahly confirmed the transaction in a statement posted on their X account: the fee stands at €1.5 million, with up to €5 million in add-ons.

At 18 years old, the striker joined Barcelona’s reserve team on loan this winter. His profile had attracted interest from Bayern Munich, AC Milan and Olympique Lyonnais before Barcelona sealed the deal. In Egypt, he is regularly compared to Mohamed Salah, and national team coach Hossam Hassan has called him up ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

This signing comes two weeks after the arrival of Anthony Gordon from Newcastle for €80 million including add-ons, and confirms the Catalan club’s desire to strengthen their attacking options during this summer transfer window.

Initially, Hamza Abdelkarim is expected to continue playing with the reserve team before potentially joining the senior squad coached by Hansi Flick.