Overview
- Reports on Friday say Barcelona have opened talks to replace Abdelkarim’s current €15 million clause with a €150 million release clause and to increase his salary.
- The trigger for the move was Abdelkarim’s pre-season form, when he scored four goals in three games and netted in the Joan Gamper Trophy against former club Al Ahly.
- Barcelona completed his permanent signing this summer and gave him a contract through 2029 that included a €1.5 million fee to Al Ahly plus up to €5 million in performance add-ons.
- Discussions over the new deal are ongoing and not final, and the club is also weighing whether to register the 18-year-old with the first team depending on coaching staff confidence.
- Raising the release clause is a common Spanish club tactic to deter buyers and it would both raise Abdelkarim’s market value and materially improve his pay and job security as Barcelona seeks a centre-forward after recent departures.