Enzo Maresca suggests a Man City star might leave, putting Spurs and Newcastle on high alert
Enzo Maresca has hinted that Omar Marmoush might be allowed to leave Manchester City during the last month of the summer transfer window. Marmoush is reportedly catching the attention of both Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United as he looks for more regular playing time next season.
The 27-year-old only joined City last January but has found it hard to get consistent minutes. With Erling Haaland leading the striker spot and strong competition from Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku on the wings, Marmoush hasn’t had many chances to shine.
He played for Egypt in the World Cup and recently appeared in the last two matches of City’s Asian preseason tour under Maresca. The former Eintracht Frankfurt player impressed by scoring twice in Seoul as City came from behind to beat Atletico Madrid in a tough friendly.
City are determined to replace any player who leaves before the transfer deadline, but with just over three weeks left, time is running short to find replacements. Still, Maresca has made it clear that Marmoush’s future is up to the player himself.
“The answer is similar to what I said about James Trafford,” Maresca told reporters after the win against Atletico. “Players want to play, so when they don’t, they’re not happy. Omar didn’t play much last year, so he likely wants more minutes. That doesn’t mean he won’t get more here, but it’s his choice to make.”
According to a recent TEAMtalk report, both Tottenham and Newcastle have shown interest in Marmoush and made initial inquiries. The report also says several Bundesliga clubs are very interested, since Marmoush still has a strong reputation in Germany thanks to his time at Frankfurt before moving to Manchester for £60 million last year.
Tottenham is also interested in another City player, Savinho, while Newcastle wants to add a forward after selling Anthony Gordon to Barcelona earlier this summer. Meanwhile, Tijjani Reijnders and Rico Lewis, two other City players, might also leave before the transfer window closes.