Barcelona table improved offer for 17-year-old attacking prospect – report | OneFootball

FC Barcelona continue to work on a deal to rope in young Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim from Al Ahly.

Having scouted him at the U17 World Cup and being impressed by the young striker’s talent and potential, Barça are eager to bring him in this January.

The idea is to sign him on a loan-to-buy deal, with the youngster set to be handed a place in the Barça Atletic squad initially before he can work his way up into the first team.

However, Barcelona have encountered hurdles in their attempts to sign Abdelkarim, as Al Ahly are not making negotiations easy.

Barceloa submit improved offer

Now, though, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have increased their initial offer from €1.8 million to €2 million in an attempt to convince Al Ahly.

The Catalans had initially proposed a loan deal with a buy option worth €1.8 million, which the Egyptians had shot down.

Abdelkarim will join Juliano Belletti’s Barça Atletic team if he joins. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

After all, Al Ahly see Abdelkarim as a special talent. His strong U17 World Cup, where he scored two goals and provided one assist in four matches for Egypt, has increased his value, and his club are looking to capitalise on that performance.

As such, they want to secure at least €5 million for his future transfer. However, this is an amount that Barcelona are not prepared to pay for a player who is still in development.

Instead, the Blaugrana have sent forward a slightly improved offer, rising from €1.8 million to €2 million.

While the figure is still well below Al Ahly’s demands, what works in Barcelona’s favour is that Abdelkarim has his heart set on a move to the Catalan club.

As such, the La Liga champions are completely calm and confident that an agreement will be reached between all parties sooner rather than later.