Barca's January Signing Still Waiting on Work Visa Over a Month Later
Barcelona signed Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim on loan from Al-Ahly in January, but a work visa issue has prevented him from making his debut.
Barcelona got their man in the final days of January — but over a month on, he still hasn’t kicked a ball for them. The work visa saga surrounding Hamza Abdelkarim is dragging on, and it’s becoming a bit of a headache for the Blaugrana.
Who Is Abdelkarim?
If you haven’t heard of him yet, get familiar. The Egyptian forward is one of his country’s standout young talents and Barcelona’s scouts had been keeping tabs on him for a while before pulling the trigger in the winter window.
- Signed on loan from Al-Ahly until the end of the season
- A permanent option is included, valued at €1.5 million plus variables
- One of the youngest players ever to debut for Al-Ahly’s first team
- Known for his eye for goal and strong aerial presence
Not bad credentials for a player coming into Barça B, is it.
So What’s the Hold-Up?
Here’s where it gets a bit painful. Abdelkarim can’t actually play for Barcelona’s reserve side because he doesn’t have a work visa. Without it, he’s not eligible to feature, full stop. The club has been working through the Spanish embassy to sort it, but it’s taken far longer than anyone would’ve hoped.
In the meantime, the lad was training with Barcelona’s youth setup during his initial days in the city — getting some work in, at least — but he’s since had to head back to Egypt while the paperwork gets sorted.
Light at the End of the Tunnel?
There are signs things are finally moving. Diplomatic contacts have reportedly been stepped up in recent days, and Barcelona have now formally requested an appointment date so Abdelkarim can present all the required documentation. Once that appointment is confirmed and the docs check out, he should be free to join up with the squad.
The club are apparently hopeful he could be available as early as next week — which, if it happens, will feel like a right result after all this waiting around.
Why It Matters
It might be easy to shrug this off as a Barça B story, but the investment — even at a relatively modest loan fee with a €1.5m buy option — tells you the club rate this kid seriously. Barcelona don’t waste energy on players they don’t genuinely believe in, especially at youth level given how their academy philosophy works.
For Abdelkarim himself, it’s been a frustrating introduction to life in Spain. Over a month sitting in limbo when you’ve just made a big move to one of the world’s biggest clubs is hardly ideal preparation. Here’s hoping the embassy gets its plates of meat moving sharpish and he finally gets to show what he’s about.