Barcelona has exercised its option to sign Egyptian midfielder Hamza Abdelkarim on a permanent deal, paying Al Ahly €1.5 million for the 22-year-old. The move ends a loan spell that began last summer and locks Abdelkarim into the Camp Nou squad through at least 2028.
The loan-to-buy trigger
Abdelkarim joined Barcelona on a season-long loan from the Cairo-based club in July 2024, with a purchase clause set at €1.5 million. The Catalan side decided to activate that clause in recent weeks, making him the club's first permanent signing of the current window. Al Ahly will receive the full fee, though no add-ons or sell-on percentages have been disclosed.
What Abdelkarim brings
The midfielder made 11 appearances for Barcelona's first team during his loan, mostly off the bench, and featured regularly for the reserve side in the third division. His versatility in central and attacking midfield roles caught the attention of the coaching staff, who pushed for the trigger to be pulled. Barcelona's squad planning for the 2025–26 season already lists Abdelkarim as a senior player, though his exact role — rotation starter or developmental piece — depends on summer departures.
Financial context
For a club still navigating La Liga's salary-cap constraints, a €1.5 million outlay is small. It's roughly the cost of a mid-level squad signing, not a marquee addition. The fee also matches what Barcelona would have paid for a typical Academy graduate buy-back, and it clears the books for future moves. Al Ahly, meanwhile, pockets a fee for a player who had one year left on his contract, recouping more than his estimated market value before the loan.
The club has not announced whether Abdelkarim will take a new shirt number or join the preseason tour. Those details, along with his contract length, are expected within the week.
