Barcelona Extend Hamza Abdelkarim Deal to 2030 With €100m Clause
Barcelona have extended Abdelkarim’s contract to 2030, moving quickly to protect one of the club’s most rapidly emerging young forwards after his strong introduction to the senior environment.
The 18-year-old Egyptian striker has been rewarded with improved wages and a release clause set above €100 million. His previous Barcelona agreement had run to 2029, despite the club only making his transfer from Al Ahly permanent for €1.5 million in June.
Rapid rise from reserve signing to first-team involvement
- Barcelona initially brought Abdelkarim in for their reserve ranks in January.
- He became a regular presence for the Under-19 side during the second half of last season.
- His profile rose further when he made his Egypt senior debut in May.
- He then played in four of Egypt’s five World Cup fixtures, with the Pharaohs knocked out by Argentina in the round of 16.
- After returning to Catalonia with little time away, Abdelkarim impressed Hansi Flick during preseason.
- He scored four times in five friendly matches, earning a place around the first-team squad and making his La Liga debut against Rayo Vallecano in August.
Abdelkarim has since been included in each of Barcelona’s first six matchday squads of the season, although his route to regular minutes remains difficult in a crowded forward department.
Competition for the central role
Raphinha and Gabriel Jesus are currently ahead of Abdelkarim as orthodox centre-forward options. Flick also has several players able to operate through the middle, including Dani Olmo, Anthony Gordon, Fermin Lopez and Karim Adeyemi.
The new deal reflects Barcelona’s belief that Abdelkarim can develop into a significant first-team player, but the teenager will need to make an impact in substitute appearances if he is to improve his standing in the attacking hierarchy at Camp Nou.
Haaland comparison welcomed
The striker has attracted comparisons with Manchester City scorer Erling Haaland and has been labelled the “Haaland of the Nile”. Abdelkarim said he sees the Norwegian as a player worth studying rather than a burden to live up to.
He described Haaland as an outstanding forward with numerous qualities to learn from, particularly his movement in scoring areas. Abdelkarim said Haaland’s habit of arriving in the right positions is one aspect of his game that he hopes to add to his own, and said he understood why the comparison has been made.
