Barcelona are moving quickly in the youth market, with four names now repeatedly linked to Barça Atlètic: Hamza Abdelkarim, Ajay Tavares, Juwensley Onstein, and Patricio Pacífico. The club see this as a serious push to strengthen the reserve team during a busy winter.
Hamza Abdelkarim
Barcelona are close to signing Hamza Abdelkarim (18-years-old), with only minor details left before he joins Barça Atlètic. According to reports coming out of Spain, the deal is expected to be a loan from Al Ahly until the end of the season, with a buy option up to €3m, but if including add-ons, it could take the total up to €5m.
The whole process wasn’t smooth, as reports describe a brief standstill when Al Ahly pushed for a renewal before approving the move, but Abdelkarim’s desire to join Barça helped get things moving again. Football director Walid Salah El-Din was quoted saying, “Yes, Hamza Abdelkarim is going to Barcelona,” and adding that he wishes the player success in building his career at Barça. He is a natural centre-forward, and had caught many club’s attention at the most recent U17 World Cup.
Ajay Tavares
Barcelona are also closing in on a deal for Norwich’s 2009-born talent Ajay Tavares, with other German clubs also racing to sign him, but Barça remain ahead and confident of closing the move soon
Tavares is a 16-year-old right-footed winger who mainly plays off the left, which is the kind of profile Barcelona often like because it lets a wide player drift inside and attack the goal. He is currently with Norwich City’s U18s, stands at around 170cm, and he has also been used across the front line, including on the right and as a central option.
Juwensley Onstein
Juwensley Onstein is set to be signed for Barça Atlètic, an 18-year-old centre-back currently at Jong Genk, standing 188cm. He is left-footed, and had previous links to AC Milan.
Barcelona and Jon Genk are close to a final agreement and the player is already giving the green light. Reports coming out of Spain have praised his physical presence, speed, and comfort on the ball, while also noting that he has dealt with injuries this season and has not played yet. This suggests that the signing is based on profile and projection, rather than his recent form.
Patricio Pacífico
Barcelona are very close to completing the signing of Patricio Pacífico from Defensor Sporting. He is a 19-year-old defender who can play as a centre-back and left-back, and stands at 187cm. 37 matches in Uruguay’s top division since his debut in 2023-24, with two goals, plus appearances in the Copa AUF Uruguay.
From what we know so far, it’s going to be a loan until the end of the season with an option to buy 50% of the player’s rights, and clauses that could allow Barça to acquire the remaining portion. The final transfer is likely to come next week.
First Barça Atlètic winter signing
While these four deals are still being worked on, Barça Atlètic have already confirmed one move last week. The club have announced the loan signing of forward Joaquín Delgado from Real Oviedo until the end of the season, and it did not take long for him to make an impact.
In his first match, Delgado scored on his debut in a 4-0 win over Andratx. He opened the scoring in the 25th minute, with Dani Rodríguez providing the assist. He arrived to Barcelona after scoring 14 goals in 17 matches for Oviedo’s reserve team this season, and that he had already built a strong scoring record there over the last two campaigns.
Why a busy winter transfer?
Reports coming out of Spain have described this winter as a period of real change for the reserve team. Barça are trying to avoid losing key players while they rebuild. Which is why they closed the door on exits for Guille Fernández and Dani Rodríguez, even though both were being linked with moves.
If Barcelona can complete the four youth deals on top of Delgado’s arrival, it would give Barça Atlètic a real boost in their push for the play-offs, as they try to work their way back to the Primera RFEF after last season’s relegation.
