Barcelona have placed Egyptian striker Hamza Abdelkarim in front of a decisive choice, deciding not to grant him official playing minutes until an agreement is reached to amend his contract—a move driven by board concerns over his low release clause relative to his rapid development.
Barcelona exercised their option to buy the 18-year-old from Al Ahly in June for €1.5 million plus performance variables, signing him to a contract through the summer of 2029. However, his swift rise with the first team prompted management to act again to secure his future before his official competitive involvement.
Reports close to the Catalan club revealed that Abdelkarim’s absence from matches stems from contractual rather than tactical reasons, with the player’s representatives informed that his participation will remain suspended until a new deal is signed. Negotiations have already begun between both parties without official comment from Barcelona regarding the decision.
The release clause in the young striker’s contract stands at just €15 million—a figure Barcelona’s board considers unreflective of his current potential and one that could invite rival European clubs to sign him easily. The club plans to raise the clause to €150 million while offering a higher salary and improved financial terms.
Abdelkarim finished preseason as Barcelona’s top scorer with 4 goals, scoring a brace against Birmingham City, netting against Basel, and scoring the winning goal against his former club Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy. He also earned praise from manager Hansi Flick, who commended his movement inside the penalty box and his profile as a natural center-forward.
Despite this, the Egyptian forward did not play a single minute in Barcelona’s opening two La Liga fixtures against Elche and Athletic Club, remaining on the bench even as the team led 5-0 against Elche—further supporting reports that his omission is tied to contract talks rather than technical selection.
Abdelkarim’s importance is heightened by Barcelona’s lack of another natural center-forward in their squad following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, alongside the club’s failure to finalize a new attacking signing so far. Consequently, Barcelona are eager to wrap up negotiations quickly, as continuing to freeze the player will deprive Flick of his only natural backup striker during a busy stretch of the season.
