‘Can be a star like Mohamed Salah’ – Egypt boss talks up Man City’s Omar Marmoush amid Barcelona interest
His national team coach insists he is destined for the same heights as Mohamed Salah.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - MARCH 7: Omar Marmoush of Manchester City Celebrates scoring the second goal during the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between Newcastle United and Manchester City on March 7, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images) | Visionhaus/Getty Images Egypt’s friendly against Spain will serve as an audition for 26-year-old Omar Marmoush , who has surfaced as a target for FC Barcelona according to Diario SPORT . Now playing for Manchester City, he has taken a massive leap for a player who, just a few seasons ago, was fighting for recognition in the Bundesliga.
Born in Cairo and holding a Canadian passport through his parents, he spent his early career in Germany and progressing through Egypt’s youth teams. His breakout at Eintracht Frankfurt was loud, fueled by a season of 20 goals and 16 assists that convinced Manchester City to drop 75 million euros for him in January of last year. His time at City has been largely successful, but there have been questions about tactical fit.
Pep Guardiola has primarily used him as a substitute for Erling Haaland rather than a starting partner for him. There are some whispers that he could be frustrated with a lack of minutes, and that is exactly why a move to La Liga doesn’t feel totally implausible. As Spain prepares to host the FIFA World Cup tune-up friendly, Egypt’s coach Hossam Hassan isn’t shy about hyping his new star up.
He told reporters that “everything is in front of him to be a star like Mohamed Salah,” and perhaps tellingly, pointed out that “Omar could play in the Spanish league one day and he deserves it. ” The Liverpool FC star himself once asked the media to stop the analogies to protect the younger striker from unfair pressure, but after Marmoush’s recent golazo in a 4-0 thumping of Saudi Arabia, the comparisons have become impossible to ignore. City can keep him if they want to, but the Manchester club has shown in the past that they will let players go if they push for a move due to lack of minutes, as was the case with Julián Alvarez.