Hamza Abdelkarim stakes claim as Barcelona search for a number nine | OneFootball

Hamza Abdelkarim’s breakout pre-season, three goals in five friendlies, is pushing his case as Barcelona and Hansi Flick search for a true centre forward after the exits of Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford.

He came on at half-time for Anthony Gordon against FC Basel on Sunday and restored the lead from a Karim Adeyemi cross in a 5-2 win. A week earlier in Birmingham he started and scored both Barcelona goals in a 2-2 draw before a 2-3 defeat on penalties.

Abdelkarim leads Barcelona’s pre-season scoring, and Flick said the striker delivered what he expects from a number nine while praising his humility and personality.

A product of Al Ahly in Cairo, he arrived on loan with an option to buy in February, was placed with Juvenil A after administrative delays and scored six in nine U19 league games, plus two youth cup outings.

Barcelona triggered the option on 23 June while he was at the World Cup with Egypt, for an estimated 1.5 million euros, and handed a contract to June 2029.

His youth displays, notably with the U17s, persuaded Hossam Hassan to pick him for the 2026 World Cup. Off the bench against Belgium at 18, he became Egypt’s youngest World Cup player, eclipsing Mostafa Kamel Mansour’s 1934 record.

Torres’ switch to Paris Saint-Germain was confirmed on Saturday, while the Julian Alvarez pursuit remains unresolved after weeks of talks with Atlético de Madrid. With Lewandowski now in Chicago in MLS and Rashford back at Manchester United, Abdelkarim skipped his post-World Cup break to report on day one and could yet earn a shot at leading the line.

Source: L'Équipe

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