The Spanish newspaper "Sport" confirmed that FC Barcelona is close to signing the young Egyptian striker Hamza Abdel Karim, one of the most prominent African talents, during the January winter transfer window, to strengthen the ranks of Barcelona Atlètic.

According to the newspaper, negotiations with the Catalan club have shown significant progress over the past three weeks, with great optimism about completing the deal despite interest from several major European clubs such as Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Olympique Lyon, and AC Milan in signing the player.

Bayern Munich had attempted to sign him last summer, but Egyptian club Al Ahly rejected the offer, so Abdel Karim remained in his home country until his remarkable performance at the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, where he was named the best player in several matches and stood out for his scoring abilities and high-level skills in finishing attacks.

The player is 17 years old and will be able to officially transfer in January when he turns 18. The deal is likely to be a loan with an option to buy, although a permanent transfer is not ruled out. Abdul Karim expressed his great happiness with the interest from Barcelona and his desire to join the club.

The player has a strong physique and a high ability to score from inside the penalty area. He scored impressive goals in the Under-17 World Cup and was the top scorer in the youth categories of his club, Al Ahly. He has already participated with the first team, and Barcelona plans to gradually integrate him with Barcelona Atlètic while preparing for the upcoming summer training with the first team.

The newspaper emphasizes that the deal reflects Barcelona's strong confidence in the player's abilities, who is being pursued by many European clubs, and is expected to be a significant addition to the Catalan team's offensive future.