Before scoring goals and assists in the Bundesliga, Omar Marmoush learned how to use the dryer and prepare his own food.
At the age of 18, the transition from Cairo, the large capital of his Egyptian country (population: 10 million), to the small German city of Wolfsburg (population: 125,000) was not easy.
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After impressing the youth teams of Cairo club Wadi Degla and playing in their first team in 2016-17, Marmoush flew to Germany the following summer after accepting an offer from Wolfsburg. Initially he spent two seasons in the reserve team. It was an era that shaped him and advanced his intellectual resilience.
He took time to adjust off the field.
The fact that Marmoush did not speak German at the time made things more difficult. In his first months in Europe, he couldn’t even order a coffee; He remained apart until he was presented with a request similar to the one he was looking for. and then indicate to the waiter that you would like the same.
“The first time I cooked, I put oil, water and other things. . . the kitchen was going to explode,” the 25-year-old, 35-cap Egyptian foreign striker told Egyptian sports site Yallakora last October. “All of those conditions are reports that we are aware of. “
Now, Marmoush will have to adapt after Manchester City reached a verbal agreement to sign the forward from Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday night.
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Manchester City reaches a verbal agreement to sign Marmoush
Marmoush spent a year and a half on loan to fellow Germans St Pauli (for now part of 2020-21) and Stuttgart before joining Wolfsburg’s senior team in the 2022-23 season. When his contract expired that summer, he joined his Bundesliga teammate. Eintracht Frankfurt side in a weak transfer.
Since this decision, Marmoush’s production has attracted attention from all over Europe.
He scored 17 goals and provided six assists in his first year with Frankfurt in 41 appearances, which is decent enough, but he had already surpassed those numbers this season before this winter window closed: he has 20 goals and thirteen assists in 26 games. in total. competitions, as well as achieving a series of impressive performances.
Marmoush evolved as a striker in Degla’s youth teams, which allowed him to feel at home as a striker for Frankfurt. Whether as a lone striker or alongside Hugo Ekitike as an attacking partner, he has shone in that position.
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His speed and dribbling ability make Marmoush a risk in one-on-one situations, especially when he has an area to attack. In such moments, he is able to make the correct resolution while moving the ball forward at maximum speed.
Frankfurt’s style of play and the transitional nature of the Bundesliga meant Marmoush often found himself in situations where he could dribble into space on the counter-attack.
He is constantly aware of his position when his team regains possession, allowing him to be a damaging transition out. In this example, in a 4-2 away win against Holstein Kiel in September, Marmoush (highlighted with the yellow dot) was on the edge of the center circle when defender Robin Koch interrupted a home team attack by directing the ball towards outside.
When the ball fell in front of fellow Brazilian Tuta, Marmoush adjusted his position slightly to move away from the centre-back in Kiel’s three-man defence and attack his right centre-back’s area (to Marmoush’s left). who is above the rest of his defensive teammates.
This gives him a merit when Tuta throws a ball his way. . .
… and Marmoush carries it forward, before finishing into the near bottom corner.
One of Marmoush’s qualities, complemented by his pace, is his ability to decisively attack space. It’s no surprise to be informed that he rewatches his matches to analyse his performances and see where he can improve.
Marmoush’s first of two goals in a 3-3 draw at home against Bayern Munich in October is an example of his understanding of space.
Frankfurt initially attacked on the counterattack, with left winger Fares Chaibi and Marmoush swapping positions. While Ansgar Knauff, the right winger, recovers the lost ball. . .
… Chaibi’s movement drags Bayern centre-back Dayot Upamecano up the pitch. Marmoush spots this and attacks the central space instead of the wide area, where right-back Raphael Guerreiro is searching for the opposition centre-forward.
Marmoush’s movement gives Knauff a passing option to central defenders, and his speed allows him to overtake Guerreiro on the ball. . .
… before Manuel Neuer finished to make it 1-1.
These off-ball runs are limited to transition conditions: Marmoush also knows which spaces to attack instead of setting up defenses.
In this example, from a 4-0 away win against Heidenheim last month, the Egyptian again showcases his ability to make the correct run behind the defence.
In the build-up phase of the attack, strikers Igor Matanovic and Marmoush are in their central positions as Koch finds left-winger Nathaniel Brown between the lines. Brown’s positioning forces Heidenheim’s right wing-back Marnon Busch to move up…
. . . and Matanovic moves to attack empty space, followed by right centre-back Lennard Maloney. Meanwhile, Brown dribbles in front of his marker. . .
…and Marmoush asks for a pass. But when Brown takes the ball further. . .
. . . Marmoush attacks the Maloney area, who tries to regain his position after falling back towards Matanovic.
Brown then finds Marmoush’s run behind the defence…
…and puts the ball into the back corner to score another goal.
From this central position, Marmoush is comfortable playing with his back to goal, constantly moving to offer a passing option between the lines and bond with his teammates. His dribbling ability also helps him in tight spaces, where he must get on the field. Spin to pass an opponent.
His assist for Ekitike in November’s 7-2 home win against Bochum illustrates how City’s new signing can mix up his game.
At the start, Marmoush twice simulated a race behind. . .
… before dropping deeper to receive from midfielder Ellyes Skhiri…
… and dribbling past the nearest centre-back with his first touch.
Then dig up Ekitike. . .
… who gives Frankfurt the lead.
The big observation when watching Marmoush’s performances for Frankfurt is that there are larger spaces to attack behind the opposition defence, between the lines and on transitions compared to what he’s likely to see with City. Pep Guardiola’s side often face deeper defensive blocks, with little to no spaces between the lines.
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In addition, City do not attack the transition as much as Frankfurt, as illustrated by their respective direct attacking figures. These are explained as possessions that start in the team’s part of the box and result in a shot or throw-in inside the box. The opponent’s penalty dominance is 15 seconds, in other words, a counterattack. Frankfurt’s rate of 3. 5 direct attacks per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga this season is far higher than City’s 2. 1. rate, which is the third lowest in the 2024-25 Premier League.
Simply put, there are fewer counter-attacking opportunities for City, which is not in Marmoush’s favor.
However, the negative aspect of this is that the Premier League has had more transitions in recent seasons and City have been forced to play transition games, despite Guardiola’s preferences. In those situations, Marmoush can be a fatal option on the break.
As for what he will add to the current City squad, his movements inside the penalty area, shots and set pieces at the same time stand out. Another favorable facet of his game comes from running in defense, a skill this City team does not have in abundance.
Marmoush’s versatility means he can play in any position on the front line, but it is clear that he has excelled the most in a central role. Furthermore, City already have many players who can be deployed in huge areas. The presence of safe player Erling Haaland in the ranks means Marmoush will likely have to compete with the Norwegian, while he will drop to tenth place when City have possession.
It is credible that this will not be an immediate transfer, given Marmoush’s offensive profile and City’s taste for the game. But players adapt and evolve, and Guardiola modifying his technique based on individual strengths is nothing new.
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“Tactics is which type of players we have, which skills they have, and you have to adapt to the quality they have,” City’s manager once said. “Not because I have an idea and I am completely just with the idea, no.”
For this move to work, City and Marmoush will have to adapt their game and a satisfied midfield.