English Premier League
Barcelona limit Hamza Abdelkarim to four minutes as club plan contract protection
Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim has played only four minutes in the opening three rounds of La Liga despite being the club’s leading scorer during pre-season, with his limited involvement reportedly linked to his contract situation as well as Hansi Flick’s footballing decisions.
The 18-year-old impressed during Barcelona’s preparations for the new campaign, scoring four of the team’s 10 goals in friendly matches. Raphinha and Besio scored twice each, while Karim Adeyemi and Lamine Yamal also found the net once.
Those performances appeared to put Abdelkarim in contention for a significant role once competitive football began. His form came at a time when Barcelona were also finding it difficult to sign another forward during the transfer window, increasing expectations that the Egyptian could be given an opportunity in the first team.
Instead, he has made just one brief appearance so far. Abdelkarim came on for the final four minutes of Barcelona’s emphatic victory over Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou, but was not used in the matches against Elche at Martinez Valero or Athletic Bilbao.
Flick’s decision to rely on other attacking options has been supported by Barcelona’s results, with Raphinha making an especially strong start to the league season. The Brazilian has scored five goals in the opening three La Liga fixtures.
However, according to Spanish newspaper Sport, Barcelona’s concerns about Abdelkarim’s current contract have also played a part in his lack of game time. His release clause is reportedly set at only 15m euros, a figure the club considers too low given the qualities he showed during pre-season and the interest he could attract from other European sides.
The Premier League is viewed as a particularly likely source of potential interest. Barcelona are therefore understood to have been wary of giving Abdelkarim a prominent role while the transfer window remained open, as a series of impressive competitive appearances could have encouraged clubs to try to sign him by paying his existing release clause.
The report says Flick’s approach was agreed with the sporting department, led by Deco. The intention was to avoid exposing the player to a major rise in attention during the final period of the transfer market and to reduce the risk of Barcelona losing him for a fee the club believes does not reflect his potential.
Once the transfer window closed, Barcelona planned to open discussions over a new agreement for Abdelkarim. Talks about improving his contract had already been considered, but were delayed because of the workload surrounding the final days of the market.
The proposed change would increase his release clause from 15m euros to 150m euros. That would represent a 900% rise and provide Barcelona with greater protection before the club gives him a more substantial role in the senior side, should Flick decide that the forward is ready for it.
For now, Abdelkarim is expected to retain his registration with Barcelona Atletic while continuing to train in the first-team environment. His next step will depend on Flick’s assessment and whether the manager chooses to increase his involvement in the coming weeks.
