The Spanish newspaper AS highlighted the Egyptian striker Hamza Abdelkarim, after head coach Hansi Flick selected him among the most prominent young talents he took to Barcelona's training camp in St George's Park, England, in preparation for the new season.
The newspaper confirmed that Flick took 17 players with promising talents to the camp, following the levels they showed at the start of the preparation period, in order to give them the opportunity to participate in the two friendly matches against Birmingham and Preston North End, and to assess the possibility of relying on them with the first team during the upcoming season.
AS praised the Egyptian striker Hamza Abdelkarim, noting that Barcelona activated the clause to permanently purchase his contract and signed him until the summer of 2029, after the levels he showed with the youth team, where he scored 6 goals in 9 league matches, including a hat-trick in the big victory over Monte Carlo, with which the team secured the youth honor league title.
The newspaper added that Hamza Abdelkarim will start the season with the reserve team led by Juliano Belletti, while being within the first team's orbit under Flick's leadership, especially since he possesses different qualities from most La Masia academy strikers, as he excels at playing inside the penalty area, holding the ball with his back to goal, and is distinguished by his strength in aerial duels and physical build.
AS pointed out that Hamza's participation with the Egypt national team in the 2026 World Cup, and playing three matches during the tournament, strengthened the technical staff's conviction in his potential, making him one of the names Barcelona will rely on in the near future.