Barcelona officially announced on Tuesday the permanent signing of teenage Egyptian striker Hamza Abdelkarim, after exercising their option to buy.
On loan from Al Ahly, his formative club, Abdelkarim arrived at Barca in the last January transfer window, playing the final stretch of the season with the club’s Juvenil A side (under-16 to under-18 category).
He scored six goals in 11 matches, a level of performance that finally convinced the club to trigger the purchase option, with a contract running until 2029.
The club has not disclosed the fee, but several Spanish media outlets report that it was closed for 1.5 million euros ($1.7 million) plus add-ons.
Currently at the World Cup with the Pharaohs, the 18-year-old Abdelkarim has seen playing time in both of his national team’s matches, against Belgium and New Zealand.
