Hansi Flick has role in mind for Barcelona summer signing Hamza Abdelkarim | OneFootball

Next week, the Barcelona first team will return to the club’s training complex for the start of pre-season. Hansi Flick has already started preparations for the upcoming schedule, although he will be without a number of senior players for the first few weeks.

Barcelona’s 2026 World Cup players will have extra time to rest and recuperate before heading back for pre-season, and one that falls into this category is Hamza Abdelkarim. Last month, it was confirmed that the Egypt international would be staying in Catalonia on a permanent basis, following on from his impressive loan spell during the second half of last season.

Abdelkarim predominantly played with the U19s last season, but there are chances for him to make an immediate jump to the senior squad. As per Sport, Flick’s plan is to regularly include the 18-year-old in matchday squads during the upcoming 2026-27 campaign, as he is seen as an different option to the likes of Julian Alvarez (if signed) and Ferran Torres.

Barcelona have high hopes for Abdelkarim

Abdelkarim is considered to be an interesting profile for the first team, and with Ignasi Quer and Victor Barbera already at Barca Atletic, the intention is for him to be used more in the senior squad, which speaks to how highly-rated he is within Can Barca.

It does make sense for Abdelkarim to be Barcelona’s third-choice striker next season. He’s more of a target man compared to what Flick already has at his disposal, which is something that was lost when Lewandowski exited upon the expiry of his contract. When chasing matches, the teenager would be a different option that can be utilised, and during the World Cup with Egypt, he has already shown that he can compete at the highest level, even if he’s not yet ready to be a regular starter.