Barcelona Sign Al Ahly Forward Hamza Abdel Karim on Loan

FC Barcelona have completed the signing of Egyptian forward Hamza Abdel Karim from Al Ahly on a loan deal, according to confirmation from Al Ahly’s football director Walid Salah El-Din.

Barcelona are expected to officially announce the arrival of the 18-year-old striker after he completes his medical examination on Saturday. 

A tripartite agreement was signed on Friday between the player, Al Ahly and Barcelona, paving the way for his move to the Catalan club on a temporary basis.

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed that Abdel Karim has extended his contract with Al Ahly, which was originally due to expire at the end of the 2026/27 season, by an additional year. 

The new deal will now run until June 2028.

The young forward is scheduled to travel to Barcelona on Saturday to undergo medical checks before the deal is formally unveiled.

Speaking to Agence France-Presse, Walid Salah El-Din confirmed the move, saying: “Hamza has already said goodbye to his teammates before the squad traveled to Tanzania for the match against Young Africans in the CAF Champions League. 

We wish him success at Barcelona and hope he can write a new chapter in the history of Egyptian football there.”

A source from Al Ahly’s board of directors provided further details of the agreement, stating that Abdel Karim has joined Barcelona on an 18-month loan that includes an option to buy. 

The player will be registered with Barcelona’s reserve team during his spell in Spain.

Regarding the financial terms, the source explained that the loan deal does not involve an upfront fee. 

However, Barcelona will have the option to sign the player permanently for €3 million.

Additional performance-related clauses linked to first-team appearances could raise the total value of the deal to €5 million.

Abdel Karim recently impressed with Egypt’s Under-17 national team at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, held in Qatar last November, where Egypt reached the round of 32, further boosting his profile ahead of the move to European football.