Barcelona close to signing Abdelkarim, the "new Salah"

FC Barcelona continues working on planning its sporting future and has highly advanced negotiations to sign Hamza Abdelkarim, one of the most promising young talents in African football. The 17-year-old Egyptian forward belongs to Al Ahly and has attracted the interest of several European giants due to his precocious performance and goal-scoring profile.

In the Barça club, there is a clear commitment to detecting emerging talent before it reaches an unaffordable market value. In this context, Abdelkarim fits perfectly into Barça's sporting policy, which continues to combine the arrival of established players with the recruitment of young prospects with international projection.

Hamza Abdelkarim, a precocious breakthrough in Egypt

Hamza Abdelkarim was born on January 1, 2008, and joined Al Ahly's youth academy in 2020, at just 12 years old. His progression was meteoric, and in February 2025, he made history by becoming the youngest footballer to debut with the first team of the historic Egyptian club.

Since then, his impact has been immediate both in the local league and in the Egyptian U-17 national team, where he has established himself as an offensive reference. His ability to finish inside the box, his powerful left foot, and his physical presence have led to inevitable comparisons with Mohamed Salah, the great icon of modern Egyptian football.

Abdelkarim: A Profile That Convinces Barça Scouts

Abdelkarim is a left-footed center forward, closer to the classic '9' than an associative attacker. He stands out for his finishing instinct, his good shot, and his ability to impose himself in the opponent's box. He is not a player of excessive build-up play, but he is very effective in the final third.

FC Barcelona followed him closely during the past U-17 World Cup held in November. Although Egypt was eliminated in the round of 16 against Switzerland, the young forward left a good impression and scored two goals against Haiti and Venezuela, enough to confirm the positive reports that the technical secretariat already had.

Advanced negotiations and expected arrival in January

Negotiations between both clubs are in a very advanced stage, although they are not yet definitively closed. Barça's plan is to sign Abdelkarim in January, once he turns 18, to strengthen the reserve team managed by Juliano Belletti.

Abdelkarim's talent has not gone unnoticed on the European continent. Clubs like Bayern Munich and Manchester City have also shown interest in his situation, aware of the potential he possesses at such a young age. Despite this, the footballer's will has been decisive. According to sources close to the operation, the forward has clearly conveyed his desire to wear the Barça jersey, a preference that has facilitated the progress of talks with Al Ahly.

In July, the Catalan club already received a delegation from Al Ahly led by Mahmoud El Khatib, president of the Egyptian entity, and Mohamed Kamel, head of the African club's new stadium project, which served to strengthen institutional relations.

A bet on the future for the Barça project

The possible arrival of Hamza Abdelkarim responds to FC Barcelona's strategy of anticipating the market and securing young talent with room for growth. The forward would not arrive with immediate pressure from the first team, but rather as a medium-term sporting investment, with constant monitoring of his development.

If there are no last-minute setbacks, Barça is very close to closing a deal that strengthens its presence in emerging markets and confirms its commitment to young profiles with international projection. In a context of fierce competition for talent, the Catalan club is once again moving ahead of time