Josep Maria Bartomeu has described Hamza Abdelkarim as an important part of Barcelona’s future after the Egyptian forward scored twice in his appearance for the Catalan club against Birmingham City.
Abdelkarim found the net two times in Barcelona’s friendly meeting with Birmingham City last Friday. The match ended in defeat for Barcelona on penalties, but the young Egyptian’s performance drew praise from the club’s former president.
Speaking to ON Sport Max, Bartomeu said Abdelkarim had the qualities required to develop into a significant player for Barcelona.
“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 give his best in the coming period,” Bartomeu said.
The comments come after an encouraging start for Abdelkarim, who has continued to receive opportunities to demonstrate his ability with Barcelona. His two goals against Birmingham City have increased hopes that he can establish himself as one of the players around whom the club builds its future.
Barcelona ultimately lost the friendly in a penalty shootout, but Abdelkarim’s contribution was a notable positive from the match. The Egyptian forward is now being given further chances to show that he can compete at the highest level and become a regular part of the team.
Bartomeu also discussed why Barcelona did not sign Mohamed Salah during his time as president. He said the Egyptian was regarded as one of the best players in world football, but the presence of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez made a move difficult to complete.
“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, delivered outstanding performances with Liverpool and achieved many records,” Bartomeu said.
He added: “Mohamed Salah is a different and top-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 and the records he achieved placed him among the players Barcelona would have considered during Bartomeu’s presidency. However, Bartomeu said the club’s attacking options at the time, led by Messi, Neymar and Suarez, made it difficult to pursue the Egypt international.
In contrast, Bartomeu’s praise for Abdelkarim reflects the attention surrounding the young forward’s early opportunities at Barcelona. His recent goals have strengthened expectations that he could become one of the key figures in the club’s next generation.
