Barcelona are closely monitoring the completion of a move for Hamza Abdelkarim. The Egyptian youngster currently represents Al Ahly but is interested in a move to the Spanish giants.
Barcelona keen on signing Hamza AbdelKarim
As per SPORT, the Blaugrana have been monitoring Abdelkarim for a while now. The 17-year-old rose through ranks at Al Ahly and made two appearances for them. He plays as a centre-forward and has impressed in youth set-ups.
Barcelona are aiming to sign Abdelkarim and add him to their reserve team. They could confirm his signing by the end of the year, as they are in talks with Al Ahly about a possible deal. The Saudi Arabian team are looking for a significant fee, along with performance-related add-ons, if he is promoted to the first team.
Abdelkarim is interested in joining the Spanish club. They have also promised him a place in the first-team pre-season camp next summer if he joins them this January. He will turn 18 in January, so his joining won't be an issue either.
Barcelona have moved ahead of the likes of Bayern Munich and AC Milan in the race to sign Abdelkarim.
Hansi Flick points areas of improvement of Lamine Yamal
The Catalan club are set to lock horns with Real Betis at Estadio de La Cartuja in LaLiga on Saturday, December 6. Ahead of the game, Hansi Flick praised star winger Lamine Yamal. He also said that the La Masia product has improved in defensive areas of his game, saying (h/t Barca Universal):
"We always talk about players in offensive and defensive roles; he also helped the team a lot against Atlético by pressing. He has improved a lot in defence, but also in attack; the level he is showing is fantastic, I love watching him.
"He is a player who always wants to improve; he wants to keep going and beat the next opponent. Sometimes it’s not easy, there are many players in La Liga who like these one-on-one situations, but in Lamine’s case, 90% of the time it’s a foul, but he keeps going. You have to know how to make the right decisions, have confidence in yourself and be able to contribute."
Yamal has faced some injury this season, but has been helpful when available. He scored seven goals and gave nine assists in 15 games across all competitions. He has led Barcelona to sit at the top of the LaLiga standings after 15 matches, one point above Real Madrid.