Al Ahly Football Club (FC) youth striker Hamza Abdel Karim has completed a loan move to Spain’s football club, Barcelona, Al Ahly FC director Waleed Salah El-Din said in a phone interview with ON Sport on Saturday, 25 January.
He confirmed that the 18-year-old forward had finalised all contractual procedures, adding that the player is expected to travel to Spain in the coming days once visa formalities are completed.
Al Ahly FC renewed Abdel Karim’s contract before approving the deal, which will see him join Barcelona’s reserve side, Barça Atlètic, the club’s second team that develops young players for the senior squad, on loan until the end of the season, with an option for the Spanish club to make the move permanent in the summer.
Spanish media reports indicated that the purchase option is set at around EUR 1.5 million (EGP 83.8 million), with additional performance-related bonuses that could raise the overall value of the deal. Al Ahly FC also secured a sell-on clause, allowing the Cairo club to benefit from any future transfer involving the player.
Born in 2008, Abdel Karim is considered one of Ahly’s most promising academy products in recent years. He drew attention for his performances at the youth level, including appearances with Egypt’s junior national teams, which reportedly put him on the radar of European scouts.
If completed permanently, the move would mark a rare transfer from Egyptian youth football directly to one of Europe’s biggest clubs, in what officials and local media have described as a significant step for young Egyptian players seeking opportunities abroad.
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