Barcelona officially confirmed on Tuesday the permanent signing of teenage Egyptian striker Hamza Abdelkarim.
On loan from Al Ahly, his formative club, Abdelkarim arrived at Barca in the last January transfer window, playing the final stretch of the season with the club’s Juvenil A side (under-16 to under-18 category).
The club confirmed the signing in a press release, stating that the 18-year-old has been signed for three years.
“FC Barcelona has informed Al Ahly that it is exercising the purchase option to permanently sign the Egyptian striker, who will sign for three more seasons,” the statement read.
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“The Egyptian striker is joining the Club on a permanent basis, with whom he will sign for the next three seasons, until June 30, 2029,” it added.
He scored six goals in 11 matches, a level of performance that finally convinced the club to trigger the purchase option, with a contract running until 2029.
The club has not disclosed the fee, but several Spanish media outlets report that it was closed for 1.5 million euros ($1.7 million) plus add-ons.
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Currently at the World Cup with the Pharaohs, the 18-year-old Abdelkarim has seen playing time in both of his national team’s matches, against Belgium and New Zealand.
It is worth mentioning that Hamza Abdelkarim became the youngest Arab and Egyptian player to make a FIFA World Cup debut during his side’s clash against Belgium, a match that ended in a 1-1 draw.
The striker came in as a substitute for ace player Mohamed Salah in the second half of the game.
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