Barcelona prospect Hamza Abdelkarim earns Bartomeu praise as Salah decision revisited

Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has described Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim as one of the club’s most important players for the future.

Abdelkarim scored twice on his Barcelona debut during a friendly against Birmingham City last Friday, although the Catalan side ultimately lost the match in a penalty shootout.

Speaking to On Sport Max, Bartomeu praised the young striker’s ability and attitude, saying: “Hamza Abdelkarim has great talent and is an important player for the club in the future. He also has an excellent mentality, which will help him develop and produce his best in the coming period.”

The comments come after an encouraging first appearance for Abdelkarim, who has been given an early opportunity to demonstrate his qualities with the Barcelona senior team. His two goals against Birmingham City have increased attention on the Egyptian as the club considers the players who could form part of its long-term plans.

Bartomeu, who led Barcelona as president before leaving the role, was also asked whether the club could have signed Mohamed Salah during his time in charge.

He acknowledged that Salah was among the leading players in world football and had established himself as a major star at Liverpool. However, Bartomeu said a move would have been difficult because Barcelona already had an attacking trio consisting of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.

“When I was president of Barcelona, it was necessary for the club to try to sign the best players in the world. Mohamed Salah was a legendary player, produced outstanding performances with Liverpool and broke many records,” Bartomeu said.

He added: “Mohamed Salah is a different and world-class player. He managed to create a school of his own at Liverpool, but it was difficult to sign him at that time because of the presence of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.”

Salah’s performances for Liverpool made him one of the players Barcelona would have considered when seeking elite attacking talent, according to Bartomeu. The former president nevertheless indicated that the quality and status of the existing forward line made a deal complicated during that period.

Bartomeu’s praise for Abdelkarim reflects the promising beginning made by the Egyptian in Barcelona colours. The youngster is continuing to receive opportunities to prove what he can offer, with hopes that he can develop into an important part of the club’s future.

His performance against Birmingham City, and particularly his two goals before the penalty shootout defeat, has provided an early indication of why Barcelona are prepared to give him a platform. Abdelkarim now remains among the young players looking to establish themselves as the Catalan club plans for the next generation.