Barca Clears Bureaucratic Hurdles to Seal Hamza Abdel Karim's Move to Barca Atlètic
20 January 2026
Deal overview
Barcelona has reached an agreement with Al Ahly over the transfer of young forward Hamza Abdel Karim to the Catalan club's reserve team, Barcelona Atlètic, in the current winter window.
Negotiations and status
According to Sport, Abdel Karim's move is among the most anticipated winter transfers, and Barca appears close to giving the final green light.
Sources say negotiations with Al Ahly were tough, with transfer fees and add-ons prolonging discussions between the two clubs.
Barca is reviewing the documents before giving final approval on the signing of one of the most promising Egyptian forwards in the world.
Profile and deal details
The teenager turned 18 on January 1 and was among Egypt's standouts at the recent Under-17 World Cup, scoring twice and assisting once in four appearances.
The delay was due to Barca awaiting five days for the necessary documents from Al Ahly, at times prompting consideration of cancelling the deal because of bureaucratic hurdles.
Sport adds that the contract extension with Al Ahly has been resolved, with the player set to renew for a further season so Al Ahly retains control if Barca ultimately activates the 3 million euro purchase option plus up to 5 million euros in variables.
Once all sides sign, the player will travel to Barcelona to join Juliano Belletti's training group.
After the signing, the Egyptian forward will join Barcelona Atlètic, strengthening attacking options that have been stretched by injuries to Victor Barbera and Oscar Orina.
Punchline 1: In football transfers, paperwork is the true sniper—one precise shot, a thousand forms.
Punchline 2: If this deal ever fires without a hitch, I’d say the forms just filed a press conference and asked for autographs.
