OFFICIAL: Omar Marmoush has completed his move from Eintracht Frankfurt to Manchester City.
The Egypt international signs a four-and-a-half-year deal after scoring 15 goals in 17 appearances for the Bundesliga this season and becomes City's third signing in January following the additions of Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov.
Marmoush arrives after just 18 months at Frankfurt, where he joined on a free transfer from Wolfsburg in July 2023.
“I'm so happy to be here,” he said. “Manchester City has been one of the biggest clubs in the world for the last ten years, so that wasn't a question.
“It's an honor that the club has shown interest in me and now I'm here. The last two seasons have been great, but for me this is just the beginning.”
Marmoush: I'm fast and dangerous
Marmoush can operate in the front three and has been involved in more goals this season than any other player in the Bundesliga, including Harry Kane.
“I have played in many positions. For the national team I play most of the time on the left flank. At my previous club I played number 9, sometimes at 10 and also at an eight,” Marmoush added.
“I have also played on the right wing, so I think I can play in all positions, but I feel most comfortable behind the striker in the number 10 position, where the path to goal is faster – or shorter I should say – so I feel comfortable in all positions. But wherever I play, I will always give everything to help the team.
“My biggest strength is that I always want to win – that's from a character perspective.
“On the field I am fast, good on the ball, I try to see where the spaces are and exploit the spaces – and I am dangerous.”
How Marmoush became elite and why City wanted him
Sky Sports' Adam Bate:
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.
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 improved dramatically at Frankfurt, a club that has become experts at playing the market.
Speaking to Frankfurt 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 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.
The club statement:
Manchester City are pleased to announce the signing of Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt.
The 25-year-old Egyptian forward has completed a four-and-a-half-year move to the Etihad Stadium, meaning he will remain at the Club until the summer of 2029.
Marmoush is one of the most coveted young forwards in the European game and can also be deployed on either attacking flank.
Marmoush, an experienced Egyptian international with 35 caps to his name so far, made his professional bow in his Egyptian homeland at Wadi Degla in 2016 as a 17-year-old.
After seventeen appearances and two goals for Wadi, Marmoush then made the move to Europe in 2017, joining VF Wolfsburg before moving to Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 2023.
He enjoyed a fantastic debut season in the Bundesliga, scoring 17 goals from 41 appearances in all competitions.
Omar has maintained that impressive impact so far through the 2024/2025 season. Before joining City, Marmoush scored 20 goals from just 26 appearances for Frankfurt, in addition to 14 assists.
Marmoush speaks fluent English and said he was extremely excited at the prospect of joining Pep Guardiola's reigning Premier League champions.
“This is a day I will never forget,” Marmoush said.
“To sign for Manchester City – one of the best teams in the world – is a great feeling. I'm very happy, my family is so proud and we are all very happy to be here in Manchester.
“With Pep, his coaching staff and the world-class facilities here, players have everything they need to improve. I found that very tempting when I got the chance to come here.
“And I cannot deny that I also want to win prizes. City have been the most successful club in England for many years, so I know I am part of a winning environment and a winning culture. I want to learn from the staff and my teammates, and I want to become a valued member of this winning team.
“I'm really looking forward to getting started, meeting the other players and showing the Manchester City fans what I can do.”
Football director Txiki Begiristain expressed his own delight at Marmoush's arrival at the Etihad.
“Omar is an experienced and exciting striker, and I am delighted he is joining us,” he said.
“He has had an excellent season and every time we have seen him he has influenced the games.
“He has all the qualities a top striker needs. He has excellent pace and awareness, and he is exceptional in front of goal. He can also play in a number of different positions, which is a very valuable asset.
“I also have no doubt that working with Pep and the coaching staff here at City will see him further develop his fantastic attacking talent.”
Everyone at Manchester City is delighted to welcome Omar to the club and we all wish him the best during his time here.
That's probably the most succinct way to sum up Omar Marmoush's tremendous impact yet in a career that started in his native Africa but has really taken off here in Europe.
It speaks volumes about his strong character and mentality that Marmoush was able to adapt so quickly to life on a new continent after making the move from his native Egypt to Germany in 2020.
After initially honing his craft with Wolfsburg's reserve team, Marmoush progressed through the ranks to the first team. He made his senior debut in May 2020 before signing his first professional contract later that summer.
To further his development, Marmoush was then loaned out to FC St Pauli, where he scored seven times from 21 appearances in Bundesliga 2 in the second half of the 2020/21 season.
That was followed by another valuable loan spell at Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart the following season, before Marmoush then cemented his place in Wolfsburg's first team at the start of the 2022/2023 season.
However, his career in Germany only really took off the following season, after his summer move to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Marmoush scored an excellent tally of 17 goals in 41 appearances during the 2023/24 season. His efforts played a major role in helping Eintracht finish sixth in the Bundesliga and thus qualify for the Europa League.
That excellent return has only further highlighted his quality and talent. While he may have received even more attention from Bundesliga defenders, Marmoush has seen his game reach new heights this season.
His outstanding return of 20 goals and 14 assists in 26 appearances – 15 of them in the league – has only been surpassed in Europe's top five competitions by Marmoush's Egyptian national teammate Mohamed Salah.
His impact also saw Omar named Bundesliga Player of the Month for both September and November.
Blessed with a clinical finisher's eye, Marmoush also possesses excellent control and dribbling skills and is also a great technician with a good eye for a pass.
And the most exciting news for City is that at the age of 25, Marmoush's best years are still far ahead of him.