Hamza knocks hard on the door: an Egyptian surprise shakes Barcelona's calculations
The young striker turns things around
Egypt's Hamza Abdelkarim keeps catching the eye this pre-season. The young Barcelona forward has forced his way into the Catalans' thinking with a string of striking displays, and his timing could hardly be better with the club hunting fresh attacking solutions before the campaign begins.
Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" reported that the 18-year-old delivered one of his standout moments against Basel. Hamza scored a superb goal from a direct strike following a well-delivered cross, taking him to 3 goals in the preparatory matches and confirming his knack for making the most of any chance he is given.
That goal was more than another number on his tally. It showcased the qualities of an out-and-out striker that Barcelona lack in some of their current attacking options, the player displaying sharp instinct inside the box and the ability to move and finish attacks directly.
Barcelona are still chasing an out-and-out striker to reinforce the front line. Hamza's brilliance hands Hansi Flick and his coaching staff an extra option, and at just 18 the player carries a huge margin for development and experience.
During certain phases the club lean on the false nine, an idea that built a glorious history at the Camp Nou with names such as Lionel Messi. More than one player in the current squad can fill that role, but Hamza offers Flick something different: a striker who drifts into the box and hunts the final touch.
His display against Basel, a match Barcelona wrapped up with a clean sweep of five goals, extended a run of positive pre-season showings. Hamza has made himself a fixture in the attacking third, creating chance after chance for himself, whether they end in successful attempts or go unfinished.
The Catalan management are still weighing their options in the transfer market. Yet every performance like this pushes Hamza deeper into Flick's plans, making it harder to ignore him when the shape of the attacking squad takes form for the new season.
Pre-season alone will not settle whether a young player can compete at the highest levels of European football. So far, though, Hamza has squeezed the very best from the chances in front of him, and the question doing the rounds inside Barcelona is a simple one: "Will the Egyptian forward be the surprise that was not in the plans?".
