Barcelona promotes 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim as genuine first-team striker

Hamza Abdelkarim arrived at Barcelona on loan from Al Ahly in January and initially played with the youth teams. Choosing to report for pre-season rather than take a post-World Cup break, he appeared in all of the club's friendlies, scoring four times in just 241 minutes. Manager Hansi Flick has praised his instinct in the box, strength and ability to find dangerous positions, prompting the club to treat him as a genuine No. 9.

Barcelona are reportedly working on a revised deal that would increase his release clause dramatically, from €15 million to €150 million. The move comes as the team searches for a true centre-forward amid ongoing assessments of the transfer market. While pre-season form alone does not guarantee a regular season role, the teenager has earned serious consideration for first-team duties.