Barcelona could turn to 18-year-old wonderkid after cooling striker search amid Julian Alvarez setback

Barcelona could hand greater first-team opportunities to 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim after cooling their pursuit of a new striker amid difficulties in the Julian Alvarez deal.

The Catalan giants had been exploring the market for another centre-forward, but their stance has reportedly changed heading into the final days of the window.

Julian Alvarez remains the one player capable of altering that position, although Atletico Madrid’s refusal to engage in negotiations has made a deal increasingly difficult.

With Barcelona unwilling to commit major funds to an alternative target, the club are now prepared to wait until January before reassessing their attacking options.

That decision has been reinforced by a strong start to the season under Hansi Flick, with Raphinha already demonstrating that he can operate through the middle and Fermin Lopez also contributing goals.

Hamza Abdelkarim could benefit from Barcelona transfer rethink

One player who could profit from that change in strategy is Hamza Abdelkarim.

The 18-year-old Egyptian striker was Barcelona’s leading scorer during pre-season and has made a strong impression on Flick and the club’s coaching staff.

Although he has not featured in the opening La Liga fixtures, that is not believed to reflect any change in Barcelona’s assessment of his potential.

Instead, the plan is to gradually expose Abdelkarim to senior football while continuing to give him regular minutes with Barca Atletic when required.

His profile also gives Barcelona something they otherwise lack.

Abdelkarim is a more traditional centre-forward than many of Flick’s current attacking options and has already gained senior international experience with Egypt. His potential was particularly evident when he scored twice against Birmingham City during pre-season.

The club are not expected to place excessive responsibility on him immediately, but the absence of another major striker signing could naturally increase the number of opportunities available to the teenager.

Barcelona still prepared to wait for Julian Alvarez

Barcelona’s long-term desire to sign an established centre-forward has not disappeared.

Alvarez remains their preferred option, but the current impasse with Atletico has persuaded the club not to pursue a costly alternative simply for the sake of completing a deal before the deadline.

Financial considerations are also central to the decision, with Barcelona keen to preserve room for a significant investment in January if Flick decides that additional firepower is required.

That leaves Abdelkarim in an intriguing position.

He is unlikely to suddenly become Barcelona’s first-choice striker, particularly with Raphinha currently thriving in a central role, but the pathway to senior minutes has become clearer than it appeared earlier in the summer.

For a player who started pre-season as one of the club’s emerging prospects, the failure to land Alvarez could now accelerate his involvement with Flick’s first-team squad.