The past few weeks have been tough for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal as they work to replace Bukayo Saka’s creativity in the attacking third.
The English star, who has tallied five goals and ten assists in 16 Premier League games this season, underwent hamstring surgery and is out until at least March—a major blow to Arsenal’s title hopes.
Ethan Nwaneri has stepped up in recent matches, scoring his second Premier League goal during Saturday’s draw against Brighton. However, the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, and Leandro Trossard, while sharing attacking responsibilities, have struggled to replicate the academy graduate’s impact.
This dip in form may prompt the Arsenal hierarchy to enter the transfer market for reinforcements, with one player reportedly already on their radar as the transfer window opens.
Arsenal in the race to sign 18-goal forward in January
According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal are one of a number of English sides in the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush before the end of the ongoing window.
However, Manchester City and Liverpool are said to hold the advantage at this stage, with Aston Villa, Newcastle and Chelsea also monitoring the Egyptian’s progress.
The 25-year-old is currently enjoying the best season of his professional career to date, scoring 18 times and registering 11 assists in just 24 matches – only behind Harry Kane in the Bundesliga goalscoring charts.
As a result of his recent form, the German side are demanding a fee in the region of €70m (£58m) to part ways with their star forward, but it remains to be seen if any side is willing to meet such a price tag.
However, given his form, it could be a potential bargain, leading to comparisons to one of Europe’s leading talents over the past couple of months.
Why Marmoush could be Arteta’s very own Mbappe
Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé has cemented himself as one of the biggest stars in world football over the last couple of years after his impressive form within the attacking third.
The 26-year-old has notched 14 goals in his first year in Spain after joining the European giants on a free transfer from PSG over the summer, following his unheard-of goal record during his spell at the Parc des Princes.
Mbappé registered 235 goals in 264 appearances for the Parisians, whilst also managing a hat-trick in the World Cup final back in 2022, becoming only the second player in football history to manage such a feat.
Arsenal would undoubtedly love to have a player of Mbappé’s quality, but a move for Marmoush could allow them to sign a player of similar level, especially when delving into his underlying figures from 2024/25.
As a result of the Egyptian’s performances, he’s been dubbed as one of the most similar players in Europe’s top five leagues to the Real Madrid ace by FBref, with the Frankfurt talisman even outperforming the Frenchman in various areas since the start of the campaign.
Like Mbappe, the Egypt forward possesses plenty of pace and ability to beat his man. That said, Marmoush, who’s recently been dubbed as “one of Europe’s best forwards” by analyst David Segar, has managed more combined goals and assists than the French international – also averaging a better goal per shot on target rate – highlighting his clinical nature in the final third.
He’s also completed more take-ons and won more aerials per 90, offering that all-round centre-forward that Arteta and the Gunners have been craving over the last couple of seasons.
It may be a risky move splashing nearly £60m on a player who’s currently enjoying a purple patch, potentially running the risk of the attacker being unable to sustain his recent performance levels.
However, Marmoush has showcased that he’s able to better some of the very best talents in Europe, which could dramatically improve the club’s forward line in their pursuit of ending a two-decade wait for a league triumph.