Barcelona poised to finalise signing of €5m striker

Barcelona are planning to do business throughout the winter transfer window, and their first deal is almost done. For weeks, there have been plans in place to sign a young striker for the youth categories, and their top target is now poised to soon be heading to Catalonia.

At the start of December, it was confirmed that Barcelona were interested in young Al Ahly forward Hamza Abdelkarim, who impressed at the recent U20 World Cup. The 17-year-old has already debuted with the Egyptian giants’ first team, and he is considered to be one of the top talents in the country.

In recent weeks, Barcelona have been in talks with Al Ahly over a deal for Abdelkarim. Their opening offer was turned down, but a second bid was made last week, and according to MD, it is close to being accepted.

Barcelona’s proposal for Abdelkarim is for him to join on loan until the end of the season, with Al Ahly receiving a €1.25m payment for this. The Catalans would have a €1.5m buy option as part of the agreement, while potential add-ons would see the total package rise to as much as €5m.

Barcelona need a striker for Barca Atletic

Upon signing, Abdelkarim would join up with Barca Atletic in the fourth tier of Spanish football. His arrival there is much-needed, given that Oscar Gistau and Victor Barbera have been out of action for a number of weeks due to injury.

Abdelkarim should have plenty of opportunities to prove himself, which could lead to a first team promotion. A similar situation occurred with Pau Victor in 2024-25, so there is scope for the teenager to make the step up to the Barcelona senior squad, as long as it is deemed acceptable by head coach Hansi Flick.