(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)
Manchester City's new signing Omar Marmoush, described as a 'golden boy' by Mohamed Salah, will be hoping to carve out a career as successful as his Egypt teammate - albeit in his own way - after completing a move to the Premier League.
City will rely on the versatile forward, who joined from Eintracht Frankfurt on a 4-1/2-year deal on Thursday, to breathe life into the club's disappointing season, with last season's champions 12 points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
British media reported that the deal is worth around 70 million euros ($72.93 million) plus bonuses.
Marmoush's broad skill set should help City, who have uncharacteristically struggled for efficiency at times this season, despite their wealth of attacking talent.
The 25-year-old, primarily a forward but equally adept on the wing, put on some dazzling displays in his second season in Frankfurt, tormenting defenders with his mazy runs and goalscoring prowess.
Marmoush's 15 goals, which make him the second highest scorer in the Bundesliga this term behind Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, have come in different ways: poacher's finishes, long-range shots, one-on-one efforts and more.
Particularly impressive has been his ability to run at defenders, exploit gaps and finish off sweeping counter-attacks, as well as his new-found proficiency at set-pieces.
These attributes have drawn comparisons to Liverpool's Salah, who is also enjoying a stellar season with 18 Premier League goals and 13 assists in 21 games.
Salah, however, cautioned last year that such comparisons could place undue pressure on Marmoush, saying his Egypt teammate needed to "live his own experience."
Marmoush echoed that sentiment.
"Salah is the best player in Egypt's history. We always talk, and I always try to learn from his experiences," he told Egyptian television channel DMC in an interview aired on Friday.
"But at the same time, I want to create my own story."
Marmoush's career began in the youth ranks of Egypt's Wadi Degla, a Cairo-based club with a modest fan base.
Former Egypt and Tottenham Hotspur striker Mido, who was the coach of Degla's first team back then, predicted in 2016 that Marmoush would be "the surprise of Egyptian football".
"I watched him in his beginnings, and he was always motivated. His story is inspirational," Mido said in November.
Marmoush embarked on his European journey when he sealed a move to Wolfsburg in 2017. He initially played for their Under-23 team before making his Bundesliga debut in a 4-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in May 2020.
Loan spells at St Pauli and VfB Stuttgart followed before Marmoush joined Frankfurt on a free transfer in the close season in 2023, scoring 12 league goals in his first campaign to help his new team book a place in the Europa League.
At international level, Marmoush marked his Egypt debut under then coach Carlos Queiroz with a screamer in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Libya in October 2021. He has made a total of 35 appearances for his country, scoring six goals.
City manager Pep Guardiola will be hoping he continues his trajectory and breathes life into a disappointing season so far.
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