Omar Marmoush has emerged as Egypt's other superstar. No player in the Bundesliga, not even Harry Kane, has been involved in more goals than the Eintracht Frankfurt man. Now Manchester City appear keen on bringing him to the Premier League.
At almost 26 it has been a spectacular increase. As recently as 2022, Marmoush was in struggling Stuttgart, on loan from then parent club Wolfsburg. His fortunes have improved dramatically at Frankfurt, a club that has become experts at playing the market.
Speaking to sporting director Markus Krosche earlier this season, he was as optimistic as ever about the prospect of the club losing their biggest stars. “Selling players is part of my job. I'm not emotional about it. It's business,” he told Sky Sports.
“I try to think about the player. They want titles. They want to play in the Premier League or Champions League. It's a normal process. There will come a point when the player develops faster than the club and then we let him go .” Blocking their development is not good.
“This is what I say to all players. If your development is faster than our development as a club, and I get the money I expect, then I will let you go. This is the reason why so many young talents like to come to Frankfurt because we know what we need to do to develop them.”
But even by Frankfurt's high standards, Marmoush's example is extreme. Signed from Wolfsburg on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, he has transformed into one of the best players in the Bundesliga, an all-round forward who can rival Europe's best.
That last year at Wolfsburg yielded five goals in the Bundesliga. He had never reached double figures for a league match until he emerged in Frankfurt. But that total of twelve goals in his debut season was already eclipsed halfway through his second season. He has 13.
If that's a testament to Frankfurt's ability to identify talent, it doesn't mean Marmoush's emergence was totally unexpected. Michael Wimmer is a coach who has worked closely with the player during his loan spell at Stuttgart in the 2021/22 season.
“I'm not surprised by all this because I was convinced Omar had huge potential,” Wimmer told Sky Sports. “It was already clear that he had a great future ahead of him. He knew exactly what he wanted and had the determination and mentality to achieve it.”
Wimmer remembers Marmoush's remarkable drive for improvement, albeit not necessarily fondly. After practice, he insisted on staying outside to work on his finishing. “Regardless of the weather. Omar didn't care if I was cold or soaked!”
That dedication to the details mattered. Marmoush's last game for Stuttgart was crucial for the club. They needed to win to stay in the Bundesliga and were chasing a late goal against Cologne. Marmoush came from the bank to help realize this.
“It was the 92nd minute and Omar took the last corner of the match under maximum pressure,” Wimmer remembers. It was turned on. “Right on Wataru's head [Endo]. It secured our place in the Bundesliga.” Stuttgart now plays in the Champions League.
Marmoush's progress has been equally as remarkable and Wimmer is magnanimous enough to credit Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmoller for bringing out the best in the player. “The way Frankfurt plays football is good for Omar. It suits him perfectly.”
But part of what makes Marmoush so attractive is that not only is he able to function in a variety of roles on the team, but he is also someone who has the skills to thrive regardless of the coach's idea and regardless of the game situation.
“When Omar came to us, he was immediately hired because everyone knew he could and would help us. He is someone who adapts quickly and that makes him suitable for many clubs because he is also very flexible and suits many playing styles.”
“For example, he can play against an opponent with a low block because he has both the technical ability to solve one-on-one situations and the ability to find solutions in tight spaces. Thanks to his insight into the game, he is a good combination player. .
“But all clubs that play intense and attacking football will suit Omar, because he also has his qualities in transition play, where he can then use the speed of his movements towards the goal and his dynamic play. Then these specific skills come into their own.” right.
“And if a team often looks for the spaces in between to create numerical overloads in the half-spaces, then that is also perfect for him, because he has the orientation skills to turn at the right time and solve situations with his dynamism and creativity .”
His flexibility will likely be a factor that makes him attractive to Manchester City in particular. Such is their reliance on Erling Haaland that he has started every game for the club in the Premier League and Champions League this season.
As a result, bringing in a real striker is not very attractive, as there is a risk that such a player will be denied playing time. What is needed is someone who has the potential to replace Haaland if necessary, but who can also play in the same team as him.
That was the role Julian Alvarez played for two seasons before moving to Atletico Madrid in the summer. Marmoush can do it too. “In my opinion, Omar is very flexible and I think he can play in almost all attacking positions,” said Wimmer.
“He has a huge drive to score and he is very determined. He is very good one-on-one, very intelligent and makes the right decisions. He is very dynamic and fast, but also technically excellent. He looks mature and confident .he does.”
Wimmer considers Marmoush “the perfect attacking half-space player or hanging striker, playing behind a goalkeeper”, but makes reservations, highlighting that it has now been two and a half years since he worked with him on a daily basis. “A lot happens to players during that time.”
In the case of Marmoush this is especially the case. His evolution as a goalscorer is partly because Frankfurt has deployed him more centrally than before. Watching from a distance, Wimmer has also noticed other developments in his game that have taken him to another level.
“For me, he has also fundamentally improved his defensive work, so that he now also performs well for the team against the ball,” he explains. “He has become a player who, thanks to his dynamics, also brings enormous aggression and intensity to his pressing.”
His rise has been so impressive that Wimmer sees a midseason move as bittersweet. Frankfurt is flying high in the Bundesliga. Marmoush is just one goal behind Kane in the scoring charts. No one has more assists. The story seems incomplete.
“I believe that Eintracht can and will achieve a lot this season. I am very happy with the path he has taken and will continue to take. That is why I would personally love to see him continue in Frankfurt or in the Bundesliga in general.”
Expect Krosche, a man with more say in the matter, to take a pragmatic attitude. Frankfurt are in a position to make an extraordinary profit on yet another signing they have helped develop into an extraordinary player. Man City could now be the beneficiary.
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