Barcelona have continued to place their faith in young talent as Hansi Flick looks to build a squad capable of competing for years to come.
The club have also been willing to give opportunities to youngsters who impress, rather than simply relying on established names.
That pathway has already helped several academy players make the jump into the first team.
Hamza Abdelkarim has taken a slightly different route, arriving from Egypt before quickly forcing his way into Flick’s plans.
The 18-year-old initially joined Barca on loan in February before the club made the move permanent during the summer.
His early impact was enough for Barcelona to move quickly again, agreeing a new contract that will keep him at Camp Nou until June 2030.
Barcelona forward scores first international goal in 5-0 win
Hamza Abdelkarim has now reached another significant milestone, scoring his first senior international goal for Egypt in their 5-0 win over South Sudan.
The young striker came off the bench in the 87th minute before reacting quickest to a rebound in stoppage time and tapping home Egypt’s fifth goal.
It was his eighth appearance for the Pharaohs and another memorable moment in what has been an extraordinary few months for the teenager.
Abdelkarim had already experienced a World Cup with Egypt before returning to Barcelona, featuring in the closing stages of several matches.
He then cut short his holiday to join Flick’s squad for pre-season and finished the summer as Barca’s leading scorer with four goals in five matches.
His goals included a brace against Birmingham City, followed by strikes against Basel and former club Al Ahly.
The Egyptian subsequently became the first Egyptian player to make a competitive appearance for Barcelona when he came on against Rayo Vallecano on 31 August.
His opportunities have remained limited since then, with the youngster still adapting to life at senior level and alternating between first-team involvement and development football.
Barcelona clearly see long-term value in him, though, with the club extending his contract to 2030 after his rapid progress.
The new deal reportedly takes his release clause from €15 million to €150 million, although Barcelona did not officially disclose the figure themselves.
Flick has described Abdelkarim as a different type of forward and a major prospect for the future, explaining why the club were determined to keep him.
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