Barcelona raise Hamza Abdelkarim release clause as Neymar legacy continues

Barcelona are considering increasing the release clause in Hamza Abdelkarim’s contract from 15m euros to 150m euros, as the club continues to protect its leading young prospects from the fate that followed Neymar’s departure.

The Egyptian forward has emerged as one of the most highly rated academy talents at Barcelona, but his current clause is now viewed by the club as too low given his development and the growing interest in him, according to recent reports in Spain.

Any new agreement would represent a tenfold increase in the clause. Although 150m euros would still be some distance from the 1bn-euro figures included in the contracts of Pedri, Gavi and Lamine Yamal, the proposed change reflects the same policy: making it extremely difficult for another club to sign a developing star without Barcelona’s consent.

The approach can be traced back to Neymar’s move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017. The French club paid 222m euros to activate the Brazilian forward’s release clause, making the transfer the most expensive in football history at the time.

The deal prompted Barcelona to reassess how it protected its players, particularly those regarded as central to the club’s future. Before Neymar’s departure, a clause worth 222m euros had appeared to be an effective barrier. The transfer demonstrated that Europe’s wealthiest clubs could still reach such figures.

Barcelona subsequently began placing clauses at levels designed less to reflect a player’s market value and more to make an unwanted departure almost impossible.

Lionel Messi’s clause was raised to 700m euros, while Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets were given clauses worth 500m euros. The same 500m-euro figure was included in the contracts of Sergi Roberto and Samuel Umtiti, whose clauses increased from 40m euros and 60m euros respectively.

Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho and Arthur Melo each had clauses set at 400m euros. In 2019, Barcelona went further by putting an 800m-euro clause in Antoine Griezmann’s contract.

The club later adopted the 1bn-euro figure for several of its most important young players. Barcelona announced in October 2021 that Pedri’s new contract contained a clause worth 1bn euros. Ansu Fati’s deal, renewed in the same month until 2027, included the same provision.

Ronald Araujo became the next player to receive a 1bn-euro clause when Barcelona announced his new contract in April 2022. Gavi was added to that group in September of the same year, before Lamine Yamal’s contract, running until June 2026, was announced with an identical clause in October 2023.

The club’s willingness to strengthen Abdelkarim’s contract has also been influenced by its recent experience with Pedro Fernandez Sarmiento, known as Dro. The attacking midfielder left for Paris Saint-Germain in January after the French club paid his 6m-euro release clause. Barcelona regarded the circumstances of his departure as a “betrayal”.

According to an earlier report by Catalan newspaper Sport, Dro’s exit was particularly painful for Barcelona. Head coach Hansi Flick also expressed his disappointment at the time, saying: “If someone wants to play for Barcelona, they have to live and breathe the club’s colours with every fibre of their being.”

Abdelkarim is not yet 18, and the club’s proposed 150m-euro clause reflects both his age and his status as a player still at the beginning of his career. It also shows how Neymar’s move continues to influence Barcelona’s decisions years after the Brazilian left the club.