According to Diario Sport, Barcelona will not deviate from Hamza Abdelkarim's established plans. Despite not playing a single minute in the first two league matches, Barcelona and the coaching staff remain confident in the Egyptian striker.
The 18-year-old striker fully demonstrated his potential in the summer, becoming Barcelona's top scorer in the preseason. Flick still highly regards him, believing he is an attractive option for rotation in attack and can provide a backup solution for the first team.
Hamza's level has clearly improved. In addition to the characteristics of a classic center forward and good physical condition, he also has a special physical training program, the effects of which are beginning to show, especially in the development of upper and lower body strength.
His participation in last year's World Cup for Egypt also contributed to this progress. During that tournament, he came on in the final stages of almost every match, an experience that accelerated his maturity and led Flick to believe he was ready for the top stage. However, it's also clear within Barcelona that his development still requires completing different stages.
According to SPORT, Barcelona clearly wants the striker to continue using his current registered number at Atlético de Barcelona (29). The club intended from the beginning to register Hamza as a reserve player so he could maintain his match fitness even when he didn't get playing time with the first team.
Barcelona believes that there will be periods during the season when his playing time will be reduced under Flick, so it is an ideal solution for him to maintain his match fitness through the team coached by Giuliano Belletti, so that the 18-year-old player's development will not be interrupted.
Meanwhile, Diario Sport also confirmed Jijates' earlier report: Barcelona is moving forward with his contract extension negotiations.
Hamza's contract, signed when he first joined the youth team, is no longer adequate for his current status. Barcelona's management is considering increasing his salary and significantly raising his release clause. Currently, his release clause is €15 million, a figure that could easily attract outside clubs.
