"Hamza Abdelkarim's name continues to circle strongly inside Barcelona, where club scouts and youth coaches believe the teenager has the tools to stand out quickly within the academy structure. The interest is real and ongoing, driven by the belief that the 17-year-old could offer an immediate spark at the youth level rather than being a long-term project who needs years to adapt."
"Despite everything, the major stumbling block remains financial, with reports from AS confirming that Abdelkarim's current club, Al Ahly, are holding firm on a €5 million valuation. Barcelona, meanwhile, are unwilling to stretch beyond €1.8 million following the conclusion of the player's loan spell. The difference between the two figures explains why the deal has yet to move forward."
"Still, there are reasons for optimism because Al Ahly's current asking price already represents a significant climb-down from their earlier demands. At one stage, the Egyptian club were asking for close to €8 million, split between a guaranteed €2 million and €6 million performance-based add-ons. Bringing that number down to €5 million suggests that they recognise the difficulty of pushing the price further and are open to continued dialogue."
Barcelona scouts and youth coaches view 17-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim as technically gifted, mentally confident, and capable of handling responsibility at a young age. The club believes he could provide an immediate spark at youth level and integrate smoothly into the academy to accelerate his development. Negotiations with Al Ahly have become complicated mainly due to a valuation gap: Al Ahly is holding firm at €5 million while Barcelona will not go beyond €1.8 million after the loan spell ended. Al Ahly previously demanded close to €8 million, later reducing to €5 million, which keeps dialogue open. Barcelona remains firm on youth spending principles but optimistic an agreement can be reached.
Read at Barca Universal
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