Liverpool have adapted seamlessly to their new head coach, Arne Slot, as they have only lost one match in all competitions so far this season, leaving them only a point behind Manchester City. While the Reds will be keen to add silverware to the club’s trophy cabinet during this campaign, there is uncertainty around the future of players in attacking areas, such as Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz, with the contract of the Egyptian talisman running out in June 2025.
Under their new off-field structure led by new sporting director, Richard Hughes, Liverpool are already being linked with new acquisitions in forward positions. A name who has been heavily linked with the club in the last few days is Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush. The 25-year-old has scored 10 goals and registered seven assists in all competitions in the 2024/25 season, leaving him as the joint-top goalscorer alongside Harry Kane in the Bundesliga after eight matches. Here is everything you need to know about Marmoush ahead of a potential switch to Merseyside in the near future.
Career So Far
Flourishing in Germany
At the age of 17, Marmoush joined an Egyptian side called Wadi Degla, making his professional debut in 2016. In 16 appearances, he scored two goals before he was signed by VfL Wolfsburg for around £100k in 2017. After making over 30 appearances for VfL Wolfsburg II in the fourth tier of German football, the Egyptian striker was finally given his professional debut for Die Wolfe in May 2020.
In the first half of the 2020/21 season, Marmoush found minutes hard to come by for the Wolfsburg first-team, making substitute appearances in domestic and European competitions. This prompted him to move on loan to FC St. Pauli, who played in 2. Bundesliga. In 21 clubs for the second tier club, he scored seven goals and registered three assists. As a result, Marmoush earned another loan move to VfB Stuttgart in the 2021/22 campaign, making 21 appearances, and scoring three goals, and registering five assists.
Following Marmoush’s two loan spells, he was finally given a starting place in the Wolfsburg team in the 2022/23 season. Over the course of the campaign, he scored six goals in all competitions. This prompted the Egyptian to look for a new challenge following the expiration of his contract in 2023, and Eintracht Frankfurt came forward to secure his signature. In his first season at the club, he scored 17 goals and registered six assists in all competitions – his best return in his short career so far.
After interest from clubs across Europe, Marmoush decided to stay at Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 2024. This decision looks to be a smart one as he has scored 10 goals and registered seven assists in 12 matches in the 2024/25 campaign, prompting transfer links to Slot’s Liverpool to emerge.
Omar Marmoush Career Stats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
Wadi Degla | 18 | 3 | 1 |
Wolfsburg U19 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Wolfsburg II | 36 | 11 | 2 |
FC St. Pauli | 21 | 7 | 3 |
VfB Stuttgart | 21 | 3 | 5 |
Vfl Wolfsburg | 48 | 6 | 1 |
Eintracht Frankfurt | 53 | 27 | 13 |
Preferred Position
Versatile Forward
In the early part of his career, Marmoush operated as a winger, with the left-hand side his preferred role. His ability to run in behind but also take defenders on in 1v1s makes him an effective player from out wide. More recently, the Egyptian has operated as a central striker, typically playing as the lone frontman in Eintracht Frankfurt’s 3-4-2-1 shape in the 2023/24 campaign.
Even when he plays as a striker, though, Marmoush likes to drift in wide areas, making him an awkward player to mark for the opposition. His strengths would suit a team that thrives in transitional moments, given his pace and agility. Previously at Wolfsburg, he had been played as a left and right-winger as they looked to find a place for him in the team. What Frankfurt have shown is that Marmoush thrives on playing as a flexible striker who can drift to both sides of the pitch rather than operating as a conventional target man who primarily occupies the central parts of the pitch.
Marmoush Stats Via Position | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Position | Apperances | Goals | Assists |
Centre-Forward | 123 | 46 | 17 |
Left Winger | 23 | 6 | 4 |
Right Winger | 14 | 0 | 0 |
Second Striker | 13 | 5 | 3 |
Attacking Midfield | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Left Midfield | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Style of Play
More than just a finisher
Marmoush’s technical ability, coupled with his impressive pace, make him a two-way threat to opposition defences. Due to his willingness to occupy wide areas, the Egyptian typically finds himself in 1v1 situations against defenders, allowing him to manipulate the ball and get a shot off quickly thanks to his impressive dribbling ability.
Due to his varied skillset, Marmoush has scored a range of different goals, which has been evident so far in the 2024/25 season. Against Bayern Munich, he scored a brace in a 3-3 draw against Vincent Kompany’s side. His first goal exemplified his lightning speed as he was sent through on goal by Ansgar Krauff from a wide left position before taking the ball in his stride and slotting it into the bottom corner.
In the 94th minute, he scored the equaliser for Frankfurt as a Junior Dina Ebimbe header sent him through on the right-hand side. He swept the ball past Manuel Neuer on his right-foot, highlighting his two main skills in these situations – directness and calmness in front of goal. Speaking about the Egyptian striker’s tactical awareness in September, Frankfurt head coach Dino Toppmoller said:
“He’s responsible for producing danger up front. Shooting in goals and setting up others. He’s very difficult to defend due to his pace and how fast he can run deep.”
Off-the-ball, Marmoush has proved to be an asset for Frankfurt in the last couple of seasons. He often wins the ball back in high areas for his team, helping them sustain pressure, especially against low-blocks. He does this by intercepting opposition passes and recovering the ball in the final third – a key skill for any modern attacker at a top European club.
Nottingham Forest Transfer Collapses
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side unsuccessful in pursuit
It looked like Marmoush might be on the move in the summer of 2024 after his breakout 2023/24 campaign. Nottingham Forest were intent on signing the striker as they were reluctant to rely on Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi as their only two centre-forward options. The Tricky Trees had previously pursued Eddie Nketiah and Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez earlier in the window but eventually landed on Marmoush in the last few days of August.
After making a few bids for the Egyptian, Forest pulled out of negotiations. Eintracht Frankfurt were reportedly asking for at least £28 million – a fee that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were unwilling to pay. John Percy provided the following update on transfer deadline day:
“#nffc bid to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush appears off. After making at least 2 offers, Forest reluctant to pay full asking price (£28m+) and, at this stage, won’t be adding a new centre-forward today. Usual caveat of “things can change” but unlikely as it stands.”
Liverpool Target Marmoush
Transfer update emerges
With the January transfer window not far away, rumours have started to emerge that Liverpool are eyeing up a new forward for Slot. Florian Plettenberg, who is a German transfer specialist, released the following update on 25th October concerning the future of Marmoush. He said:
“Eintracht Frankfurt are currently demanding a transfer fee of between €50-60m for Omar
#Marmoush
.
“Liverpool is indeed a serious option. The interest is real, and there has already been contact between the player’s camp and
#LFC
.
#SGE
are aware of it.
“Marmoush dreams of a move to the Premier League and would immediately agree to join Liverpool.”
A notable aspect of this update is the fee that Eintracht Frankfurt are now demanding for their Egyptian talisman. As already mentioned, they were asking for at least £28 million for Marmoush in August, but following his nine goals in eight Bundesliga games in the 2024/25 season, the fee has already been increased. Whether Liverpool formalise their interest with a bid in January remains to be seen, but Frankfurt will be prepared for offers.
Information gathered from Transfermarkt – Correct as of 28/10/24.