Gifts pour in for Hamza Abdelkarim in Barcelona
A trial that turns into a blessing
Egypt's Hamza Abdelkarim, the Barcelona striker, has received several signs that increase his chances of featuring with the Catalan side during the new season.
Consider what has changed at the club. Robert Lewandowski has left for the American league, Ferran Torres has joined Paris Saint-Germain, and Barcelona failed to renew Marcus Rashford's loan or turn it into a permanent deal.
The biggest boost for Abdelkarim lies in the complications surrounding Julian Alvarez's move to Barça, particularly as Atletico Madrid refuse to negotiate with the Catalan club over the deal.
Alvarez may be pushing for a switch to Spotify Camp Nou, but the player's desire alone does not appear to be enough to open the door.
Deco, Barcelona's sporting director, does not appear to have a clear and direct alternative should the Alvarez deal collapse. True, the newspapers have linked the Catalan club with Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez, but that talk looks closer to rumour than a genuine transfer project, especially as the player is considered untouchable within the Italian club.
One name stands out amid all these complications. Abdelkarim has emerged as a potential beneficiary of Barcelona's crisis in the centre-forward position, having joined the first team during the preparation period, with Hansi Flick still keen on keeping him with the group just days before the Joan Gamper Trophy.
Flick made that decision after Abdelkarim's impressive displays in the friendlies, handing the Egyptian a real chance to continue working with the first team as Barcelona hunt for a solution to their out-and-out striker crisis.
For Hamza, that crisis could turn into an exceptional opportunity. He has found himself in the German coach's plans sooner than anyone expected, and with the season fast approaching, the Egyptian could become one of Flick's new bets.
Picturing Abdelkarim as Barcelona's main striker from day one is naturally difficult, given the scale of responsibility the role demands at a club chasing every title. A place on the substitutes' bench, though, looks strongly plausible.
Flick may turn to Hamza in the tight matches where Barcelona need an out-and-out striker who can deal with aerial balls and attack crosses. That could give the Egyptian a particular edge, with no one else in Flick's squad offering similar qualities in the air.
Here, then, the absence of a ready-made solution in the market could flip from a crisis for Barcelona into an opportunity for Hamza Abdelkarim.
