Why Manchester City were desperate to beat Liverpool to the £59m signing of Omar Marmoush
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Manchester City have made the biggest statement of the January transfer window so far by signing Eintracht Frankfurt’s Egyptian pharaoh Omar Marmoush in a blockbuster £59m deal.
The 25-year-old, who was heavily linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and most notably Liverpool as a replacement for fellow countrymen Mohamed Salah, arrives as the most expensive and high-profile signing of the January transfer window - and he will be immediately be assigned the task of trying to revive City’s so far feeble attempt of defending their title whilst also aiming to rescue the Sky Blues’ hugely underwhelming Champions League campaign.
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Hide Ad“This is a day I will never forget,” Marmoush said after completing a move to the Etihad Stadium.
“To sign for Manchester City – one of the best teams in the world – is an amazing feeling. I am delighted, my family are so proud, and we are all very happy to be here in Manchester.
“With Pep, his technical staff and the world-class facilities here, players have everything they need to improve. That was really enticing for me when I had the chance to come here.
“And I cannot deny I also want to win trophies. City have been the most successful club in England for many, many years, so I know I am joining a winning environment and winning culture. I want to learn from the staff and my teammates, and I want to become a valued member of this winning team.
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Hide Ad“I really am looking forward to getting going, meeting the other players and showing the Manchester City fans what I can do.”
Marmoush's arrival at Manchester City has been met with great excitement by supporters and great envy from other clubs around the league who were unable to get the 35-time international on board. But what can Premier League fans expect from Omar Marmoush and where will he fit into Pep Guardiola’s star-studded team this season? Here’s all you need to know about the potential heir to Mohamed Salah.
Who is Omar Marmoush?
Omar Marmoush is a 25-year-old forward who arrives at Manchester City with a big reputation after making waves in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt. He is currently regarded as one of the best attackers in world football and has registered a staggering 20 goals and 14 assists in 26 matches across all competitions in the first half of the campaign.
Marmoush seemingly has the world at his feet at this moment in time, but his journey to the top is far from a straightforward one. The Cairo-born footballer arrived in Germany from the Egyptian second division as an 18-year-old, having ironically been spotted by ex-Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs, spending a couple of seasons in the youth side before making his senior debut in May 2020.
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Hide AdThe fact Marmoush didn’t speak German at the time made things challenging. During his early months in Europe, he admitted that he couldn’t even order a coffee — he would stand to the side until a similar order to what he wanted came up, then signal to the waiter that he’d like the same.
“The first time I was cooking, I was putting oil, water and other stuff… the kitchen was going to explode,” the now 25-year-old, 35-cap Egypt international forward told Egyptian sports website Yallakora last October. “All these situations are experiences we learn from.”
Marmoush took time to adapt to his surroundings in Germany and despite showing technical quality needed to go through a process to become the finished article. After failing to score in five matches, he spent time on loan in the second-tier with FC Saint Pauli before garnering further experience in the top-flight with Stuttgart.
The attacker was seen very much as a typical street footballer with plenty of tricks but lacking in tactical awareness in his early days. He scored five goals and registered one assist in his final league season at Wolfsburg before being released on a free transfer in 2023.
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Hide AdOmar Marmoush’s rise to the big time
Joining Bundesliga side Eintrancht Frankfurt on a free transfer proved to be the sliding doors moment in Omar Marmoush’s career and in his first season under the guidance of manager Dino Toppmoller, he hit the ground running with 17 goals and six assists in 41 appearances across all competitions.
Marmoush showcased his potential in a variety of different positions such as centre forward, central attacking midfielder and it was this versatility that made him such an asset to The Eagles.
However, as Frankfurt fended off interest from Newcastle, Liverpool and Tottenham in the summer - and with the signing of forward Hugo Ekitike on a permanent, it became increasingly clear that Marmoush’s main calling was to become a striker - in a partnership with the Frenchman which very much resembles the big-man, little-man partnership of a bygone era.
Marmoush has been a standout performer with 20 goals and 14 assists - making him the fourth most productive player in European football in terms of goal contributions behind countrymen Mohamed Salah, future team-mate Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski.
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Hide AdHow Omar Marmoush fits in at Manchester City
Omar Marmoush offers Manchester City something they have been missing since the departure of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid - an alternative to Erling Haaland.
While the Norwegian is undoubtedly one of the very best finishers in world football, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Cityzens are over reliant on the 24-year-old and for the first time under Pep Guardiola their football and attacking patterns have become predictable as a result.
Marmoush, who has proven he can thrive next to a big aerial threat in Ekitike, although very different to Haaland, is capable of coming in as a direct partner to the Norwegian, but is most likely to come in as a goal threat from the wing in a similar vein to what Sergio Aguero had in Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez - when City, at least in the Premier League, achieved their best point tally.
As it stands, Phil Foden is City’s second top scorer behind Haaland, his six goal in the Premier League is less than half of the goals that of Haaland.
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Hide AdMarmoush, meanwhile with 17 league goals, has managed more than Foden (6), Doku (3), Bernardo Silva (2), Kevin De Bruyne (2), Savinho (1) and Jack Grealish (0) - and will immediately give opposition defences an extra thing to think about.
The 25-year-old is also blessed with the ability to strike a ball excellently from free kicks and his tally of three this season is equal to that of City from the last 18 months, with the most recent of those being a deflected strike from Foden in April 2024.
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