Eric Garcia tips Hamza Abdelkarim to become a ‘very important’ striker for Barcelona

Barcelona defender Eric Garcia says Hamza Abdelkarim has surprised him with his performances and believes the young forward could become a “very important striker” in the future.

Abdelkarim scored in Barcelona’s 2-1 victory over Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy, making his first appearance for the club at Camp Nou.

Garcia said the teenager had impressed him despite not having trained with Barcelona before, particularly with his movement inside the penalty area.

“Hamza Abdelkarim surprised me. He is doing his job very well. I do not know him, but I learned that he played in the World Cup,” Garcia told reporters.

“Hamza had not trained with us before, but I watched him in training and in the match against Al Ahly. His movement, especially inside the penalty area, stood out to me, considering his young age.”

Garcia added: “I think that if he continues working well, he will be a very important striker in the future.”

Abdelkarim and Raphinha scored Barcelona’s goals against Al Ahly, while Ahmed Sayed Zizo found the net for the Egyptian side.

The match was part of Barcelona’s preparations for the new season, with Abdelkarim emerging as the club’s leading scorer during their pre-season campaign.

He has scored four goals for Barcelona in five pre-season matches and has topped the team’s scoring charts across the six fixtures played during the preparation period.

His appearance against Al Ahly was also his first Barcelona match at Camp Nou, adding to a pre-season in which Garcia says he has made a strong impression on the senior squad.

Barcelona will begin their La Liga campaign against Elche next Sunday in the second round. Their opening-round fixture, which was postponed, will be played against Athletic Club on Thursday, 27 August.

The club’s pre-season schedule has therefore provided Abdelkarim with an opportunity to stake his claim for a role in the first-team squad before competitive action gets under way.

Garcia’s comments underline the confidence growing around the forward, whose finishing and movement have helped him become Barcelona’s most productive player during the build-up to the season.