Barcelona plan to keep Hamza Abdelkarim despite early La Liga bench role

Barcelona remain committed to their long-term plan for Hamza Abdelkarim, despite the 18-year-old not playing a single minute in the club’s opening two La Liga matches.

Hamza Abdelkarim was an unused substitute in the games against Elche and Athletic Club, having finished pre-season as Barcelona’s leading scorer with four goals. His lack of involvement in the first two league fixtures under manager Hansi Flick has nevertheless not altered the club’s intentions for his development.

According to Spanish newspaper Sport, Barcelona have placed the forward on a specific physical training programme which is already producing positive results. The report says there has been noticeable improvement in both the upper and lower parts of his body as he continues to adapt to the demands of football at senior level.

Barcelona are said to remain determined to retain Abdelkarim. The plan discussed from the outset has been to register him with the reserve team, allowing him to maintain his fitness and competitive rhythm during periods when he is not selected for the first team.

“Barcelona is determined to keep Hamza Abdelkarim, and the idea from the beginning has been to register him with the reserve team to ensure he maintains his physical fitness when he does not play minutes with the first team,” the report said.

His experience with the Egypt national team at the World Cup has also helped accelerate his competitive development. That exposure has enabled Flick to find a player who is already prepared for the professional level, although Barcelona’s officials recognise that Abdelkarim still has several stages of development ahead of him.

The club also expects that his playing time will fluctuate during the campaign. Sport reported: “There will be periods of the season when Hamza’s playing time under Flick will decrease, so joining Juliano Belletti’s team, the reserve team, is ideal for an 18-year-old player to continue his development.”

The arrangement would give Abdelkarim regular opportunities to play while keeping him within Barcelona’s wider first-team structure. It would also provide a way for the club to manage his progress without allowing a lack of senior appearances to affect his physical condition.

Barcelona are expected to renew Abdelkarim’s contract in the coming months, only a short time after he officially joined the club following a six-month loan spell.

The Catalan club are considering increasing his salary to reflect his role and importance, while also raising his release clause. The current figure is €15m, a valuation that could prove attractive to other clubs.

Abdelkarim was again named among the substitutes for Barcelona’s first two league matches under Flick. Barcelona’s next fixture is against Rayo Vallecano in the third round of La Liga on Monday at 22:30.