Who is Hamza Abdelkarim? Barcelona target could become "Egypt's Erling Haaland"

Al-Ahly want €8m 

Hamza Abdelkarim is one of the biggest talents in African football. The 17-year-old, who plays for Egyptian powerhouse Al-Ahly, has been linked with all sorts of clubs recently. Ahead of the season, Bayern Munich were hot on his heels. Olympique Lyon, AC Milan, and most recently, Barcelona have been interested in signing Abdelkarim. Barça have seen an initial offer to sign him on a free transfer, but a sell-on has been rejected.

“Barcelona then came back with an improved offer of a free loan and an option to buy for €1 million plus 3 million in add-ons and a sell-on clause,” Transfermarkt Egypt Data Scout Osama Rakha said. According to the Transfermarkt Rumor Mill, Barcelona remains the favorite to land the talented striker. The latest report from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano indicates that Abdelkarim wants to join Barcelona, but that Al-Ahly have not given in to those demands. The holdup is the transfer fee as Al-Ahly want €8m for their young star.

“Al-Ahly consider the player a gem and won't let him go easily,” Rakha said. “The club sold Wessam Abou Ali to Columbus Crew earlier this season in what was the second biggest sale in league history.” Abou Ali was sold in a deal worth €6.4m after the FIFA Club World Cup. The current record, in the meantime, is held by Malick Evouna, who Al-Ahly also sold. The Egyptian powerhouse received €7.25m from Chinese club TJ Teda in 2016. The expectations at Al-Ahly are that Abdelkarim will break that record (overview).

Barca target Hamza Abdelkarim: “The biggest talent in Egypt”

Is the price justified? “Hamza is considered the biggest talent in Egypt,” Rakha said. The 17-year-old forward became the fourth youngest Egyptian in the CAF Champions League history when he made his debut for Al-Ahly in November. The striker came off the bench in the 4-1 win over JS Kabylie. Although he is yet to feature in the Egyptian Premier League this season, Abdelkarim did make his debut last year against Petrojet (2-1), becoming the fourth youngest player in Al-Ahly’s history and the youngest since 2014 when Ramadan Sobhi made his debut.

Although he is yet to score for Al-Ahly’s first team, he has stood out for Egypt youth teams. At the U17-AFCON, Abdelkarim scored three goals and one assist in four appearances, helping his country to reach the U17 FIFA World Cup. There he was once again a star, scoring twice in four games. It was after his performances at the World Cup that Barcelona started to take an interest in the young Pharaoh. Indeed, with 12 goals and six assists in 19 games for the U17, Hamza has now become the top performer in Egypt’s youth ranks. Together with Belal Ateya, who has been on trial at Bundesliga side Stuttgart, Abdelkarim has formed a deadly partnership.

What sort of player is Abdelkarim? “In terms of style, Hamza is a modern-day striker,” Rakha said. “He takes part in build-up play and likes joining the midfield or going wide to open space for other players. He likes to create chances for other players. His biggest asset, however, is his box player. He is excellent in the air, and if he reaches his full potential, he could become Egypt’s version of Erling Haaland,” Rakha concluded.