January 28, 2026
Barcelona is close to completing the contract with four promising young players during the current winter transfer period, in order to strengthen the ranks of the reserve team “Barcelona Athletic” under the leadership of coach Juliano Belletti, with the aim of preparing them to join the first team in the future.
At the top of this list is Egyptian striker Hamza Abdel Karim (18 years old), who caught attention during his participation in the Junior World Cup in Qatar. The Catalan club is seeking to include the Al-Ahly player on loan, with the possibility of purchasing him permanently in June 2026 for an amount that may reach 5 million euros, taking into account additions and variables.
Three other talents to support the defense and attack lines
In addition to Abdel Karim, Barcelona management is moving towards completing the following deals:
-Agai Tavares (16 years old): The talented England and Norwich winger, who chose the Barcelona project at the expense of other offers from European clubs.
-Gwensley Eunstein (18 years old): defender of the Belgian “Genk” and the Dutch youth team, whom Barcelona won the race to contract with, beating the Italian club Milan.
-Patricio Pacifico (19 years old): Defensor Sporting and Uruguay youth team defender, who is distinguished by his ability to play in the center of defense and left back.
These moves come within the framework of the club’s strategy to search for emerging talents at a low cost before their market value increases, and it is a plan that Barcelona is following in parallel with relying on graduates of the “La Masia” academy to ensure the continued flow of young players into the ranks of the “Blaugrana”.
(Spanish press)
