Barcelona's Hidden Strategy with Hamza
The Egyptian forward has been one of the standout players of the team in the preseason, but has gone missing at the start of the league season.
Hamza Abdelkarim, an 18-year-old forward and player for FC Barcelona, has only played four minutes in the first three matches of LaLiga after finishing the preseason as Barça's top scorer with four goals. The club, with Hansi Flick and Deco overseeing the player's management, is preparing to improve his contract until 2029 to raise his buyout clause from the current €15 million to €150 million.
Abdelkarim made his official debut against Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou in the final minutes but did not play against Elche or Athletic Club. This contrasts with a preseason where he scored four of the ten goals scored by Barça.
HAMZA ABDELKARIM SCORES OUR SECOND! 🇪🇬🔥 pic.twitter.com/oAmQlA5I3n
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 16, 2026
Hamza Abdelkarim to see his buyout clause increase from 15 to 150 million
The main issue that FC Barcelona wants to address is contractual. The forward currently has a release clause of only €15 million, despite having signed until 2029 when the club exercised its buyout option this summer.
The plan is to raise that protection to €150 million, multiplying the current figure by ten. The contract upgrade would also include a salary increase commensurate with Abdelkarim's enhanced status in the sports planning.
Barça paid €1.5 million to Al-Ahly to permanently secure the player after his initial loan spell. The attacker arrived in Barcelona in January 2026 and previously scored six goals in ten matches with the Juvenil A team across various national competitions.
His performance over the summer reinforced his position. Abdelkarim ended as the top scorer of the preseason with four goals, ahead of Raphinha and Jesse Bisiwu, who each scored two.
Hansi Flick and Deco also manage bonuses with Al-Ahly
The transfer contract also includes financial incentives linked to the forward's performance. Al-Ahly will receive €750,000 when Hamza reaches five official matches with the first team, provided he plays at least 45 minutes in each.
Appearance bonuses can gradually increase up to a maximum of €2 million. There is another scale associated with goals: the first five will result in a payment of €300,000, with this variable block potentially reaching €1.5 million.
Adding the fixed €1.5 million and all variable amounts specified in the agreement, the total cost of the operation could reach approximately €6.5 million if the forward meets the established goals.
Hansi Flick's management is also influenced by the existing competition in attack. Raphinha has started LaLiga with five goals in three matches, while the addition of Gabriel Jesus increases the options available to the coach.
Deco keeps the forward's registration with Barça Atlètic, though he is regularly involved with the first team. This approach will allow control over his minutes while finalizing the contractual modification.
The next step for Hamza Abdelkarim will be to secure this renewal and move past a €15 million clause that FC Barcelona deems insufficient. Once raised to €150 million, Flick will manage his appearances without the contractual exposure experienced in the final weeks of the transfer market.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La estrategia tapada del Barcelona con Hamza