Barcelona tie down 18-year-old Abdelkarim until 2030 with €150m release clause after preseason starring role

Barcelona have tied down teenage forward Hamza Abdelkarim on improved long-term terms, extending the 18-year-old Egyptian’s contract through 2030 and setting his release clause at €150m. The club confirmed the deal this week, with head coach Hansi Flick addressing the renewal at his Saturday press conference.

The decision was driven largely by Abdelkarim’s preseason form. He finished Barça’s summer programme as the club’s leading scorer with four goals — output that accelerated internal discussions around a player still regarded as a long-term project rather than an immediate first-team fixture. According to Tribuna, citing Barcelona’s official statement, the new deal adds an extra season to his previous contract and substantially raises his release clause.

Flick made no attempt to downplay the club’s motivation. “The club has done a great job. He’s a player who performed well in preseason and is competing with other players. He’s a different type of player and a great prospect for the future of the club. We had to keep him,” the German coach said.

Abdelkarim will continue training with the first-team group, and Flick indicated he would be used “when appropriate” as the season unfolds. There is no suggestion from the club that he is being fast-tracked into a regular starting berth; the renewal is framed around patience — keeping him embedded in the squad environment, protecting his value, and allowing competitive minutes to arrive organically.

The move fits a broader pattern at the Camp Nou this summer. Barcelona have already revisited terms for academy product Marc Bernal and undertaken a wider review of release-clause structures across several contract renewals. Abdelkarim’s deal is the latest signal that the club intends to secure its most promising young assets before external interest can complicate matters.