Omar Marmouche has emerged as another superstar striker in Egypt. No player in the Bundesliga has been involved in more goals than the Eintracht Frankfurt man, not even Harry Kane. Now, Manchester City appear keen to bring him to the Premier League.

Almost 26 years old, which is an amazing amount of growth. As recently as 2022, Mamouche was loaned to struggling Stuttgart by his then parent team Wolfsburg. His luck has improved significantly at Frankfurt, a club that has become experts at operating the market.

Speaking to Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Markus Kroche earlier this season, he was as optimistic as ever about the prospect of the club losing its biggest star. “Selling players is part of my job. I’m not sentimental about it. It’s business,” he told reporters sky sports.

“I try to think about the players. They want titles. They want to play in the Premier League or the Champions League. It’s a normal process. One day the player develops faster than the club and then it’s not okay for us to let him go and hinder their development. good.

“That’s what I say to all players. If you develop faster than our club develops and I get the money I expect, I will let you go. That’s why so many young talents like to come to Frankfurt because We know what we have to do to develop them.”

But even by Frankfurt’s high standards, Malmouche’s example was extreme. He arrived on a free transfer from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2023 and has become one of the best players in the Bundesliga, a versatile forward who can compete with the best players in Europe.

Scored five Bundesliga goals in his final year at Wolfsburg. Before joining Eintracht Frankfurt, he had never reached double figures in the league. But his 12 goals in his first season were overshadowed by the middle stages of his second. He has 13.

If this is proof of Eintracht’s ability to identify talent, it’s not that Mamouche’s rise was completely unexpected. Michael Wimmer is a coach who will work closely with the player during his loan spell at Stuttgart for the 2021/22 season.

“I’m not surprised by any of this because I’m sure Omar has tremendous potential,” Weimer told sky sports. “It’s clear he has a great future. He knows exactly what he wants and has the determination and mentality to achieve it.”

Wimmer remembers Mamouche’s extraordinary, though not necessarily affectionate, desire for progress. After training, he would stick around to complete shooting drills. “No matter what the weather conditions are. Omar doesn’t care if I’m cold or wet!”

Attention to detail is important. Malmouche’s final game in Stuttgart was crucial for the club. They need to win to stay in the Bundesliga and chase a late goal against Cologne. Substitute Mamouche helped achieve this goal.

“In the 92nd minute, Omar took the last corner kick of the game under maximum pressure,” Wimmer recalled. It bounced off. “It hit Wataru (Endo) right in the head. It secured our place in the Bundesliga.” Stuttgart are now in the Champions League.

Mamouche’s progress has been astonishing, and Wimmer was generous in praising Frankfurt coach Dino Topmoller for getting the best out of the player. “The way Frankfurt plays is good for Omar. It suits him very well.”

But part of what makes Mamouch so attractive is that not only is he able to play a variety of different roles on the team, but he also has the skills to do it no matter what the coach thinks and no matter the game situation.

“When Omar came to us, he was accepted immediately because everyone knew he could and he would help us. He adapted very quickly, which made him suitable for many clubs because he is also very flexible and suitable for many clubs. A style of play.”

Omar is the perfect half-court offensive player.

“For example, he can counter low opponents because he has both the technical ability to solve one-on-one situations and the ability to find solutions in tight spaces. He is a good combination player because of his understanding of the game.

“But all clubs that play intense and attacking football would suit Omar because he also has qualities in his transitional game and then he can use his speed of movement and his dynamic game. That’s when those special skills come into play.

“If a team often looks for space in the middle to create numerical overloads in the half-spaces, then this is also perfect for him because he has the directional ability to turn around at the right moment and solve problems with his energy and creativity.” .

His flexibility may be a factor that makes him particularly attractive to Manchester City. They have relied so heavily on Erling Haaland that he has started every game for the club in the Premier League and Champions League this season.

Therefore, bringing in an out-and-out striker has limited appeal, as such a player could be deprived of playing time. What we need is someone who has the potential to step in for Haaland when needed, but also play in the same team as him.

Julian Alvarez played the role for two seasons before moving to Atletico Madrid in the summer. Mamouch can do it too. “Omar, in my opinion, is very versatile and I think he can play almost any offensive position,” Wimmer said.

“He has a huge drive to score and is very determined. He is very good in one-on-one situations, very smart and makes good decisions. He is very dynamic, very fast and very technical. He looks great. Mature, confident in all aspects.” And he did. “

Wimmer sees Malmouche as “the perfect attacking half player or hanging forward to play behind the target man” but stresses that it has been two and a half years since he has been working with him on a daily basis. “A lot of things happened to the players during that time.”

This is especially true in the case of Marmoush. His improvement as a goalscorer is partly due to Frankfurt using him more intensively than before. Watching from afar, Wimmer also spotted other developments in his game that took him to another level.

“For me, he’s also fundamentally improved his defensive work so he’s now also doing well in the team’s possession,” he explained. “He has become a player with tremendous aggression and intensity because of his energy.”

His rise has been so impressive that Wimmer considers the mid-season move bittersweet. Eintracht Frankfurt are thriving in the Bundesliga. Malmouche is only one goal behind Kane in the scoring charts. No one has more assists. The story seems incomplete.

“I believe Frankfurt 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 personally would very much like to see him continue playing at Eintracht Frankfurt or in Europe.” The entire Bundesliga. “

Kroche has more say in the matter and will take a pragmatic approach. Frankfurt can afford to make an extraordinary profit on another signing they have helped develop into an extraordinary player. Manchester City may now be the beneficiary.