After half a season of play, in-demand striker Omar Mamouche has helped German club Eintracht Frankfurt break into the top four for the first time in more than 30 years and has Europe's elite clubs on high alert during the January transfer window.
Third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, who last finished in the Bundesliga's top four in 1992-1993, currently sit eight points ahead of Borussia Dortmund but could become Mamoun as the 25-year-old has attracted potential suitors from a number of high-profile European names. What a victim of brilliant success. football club.
Here's what you need to know about the promising forward who's about to become a superstar in football:
Who is Omar Mamouch?
Mamouch, who was born in Cairo in 1999, stood out in the youth training of the Egyptian Premier League club Wadi Degla in his early years. At just 17 years old, he was promoted to the first team and joined the Wolfsburg reserve team a year later.
At Wolfsburg, Mamouch initially struggled in terms of consistency and game time, and was eventually loaned out to St. Pauli and Stuttgart.
The forward moved to Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer ahead of the 2023-2024 season and has scored 12 goals in 29 league games.
He also struggled to adapt to life in Germany.
According to Mamouche's agent, the 1.83-meter (6-foot) forward's initial struggles with language and life in Germany laid the foundation for his achievements.
"Malmouche's mastery of German, French and English contributed greatly to his success. He thrived in Frankfurt," said Ahmed Abdoun.
In 2021, the same year he made his first-team debut at Wolfsburg, Mamouch (who is also eligible to play for Canada through his father) received his first call-up to the Egyptian national team.
Mamouch made his international debut alongside Liverpool great Mohamed Salah, scoring the winning goal against Libya in an African Cup of Nations qualifier.
How many goals has Omar Marmouch scored?
The Egyptian has been in excellent form so far in the 2024-2025 Bundesliga season.
Mamouche has scored 15 goals, second in the league behind Bayern Munich's Harry Kane. He leads the German top flight with 10 assists in 17 Bundesliga games.
He also scored 4 goals in the Europa League and 1 goal in the German domestic cup.
His 25 goal contributions rank second in Europe's top five leagues, behind fellow Egyptian Salah's 31 goals, and he has played three more games.
In international football, Mamouch played 35 games for the Pharaohs and scored 6 goals.
"Omar always wants to win, whether it's a Bundesliga game or a training match," Frankfurt coach Dino Topmoeller said.
Mamouche equalized in Bayern Munich's 3-3 home draw with the German giants in October and was praised by head coach Vincent Kompany.
"Mamouche is a player who will only get better as time goes on," Kompany said, praising the striker's exceptional skills as "abnormal".
What does Salah think of Malmouche?
Mamoushie's development will inevitably draw comparisons to Salah's, but the Liverpool superstar has warned against such comparisons.
"Omar has huge potential and is currently an important player for his team and the national team, but I hope we stay away from the idea of comparison because it will put him under pressure," Salah said in November.
"Don't compare him to me. Don't say 'the new Mohamed Salah'. Let him continue his career. Comparing a player at the beginning of his career to another player who has achieved great things over the years will not help him. "
Which clubs are interested in buying Marmoush?
The Frankfurt marksman has a contract with the German club until the summer of 2027.
Although Malmouche has been playing in Germany since 2017, he has always been linked with a move to one of Europe's bigger clubs.
Multiple media reports claim that Manchester City are very interested in buying the striker, which would make Mamouch the biggest rival for the Premier League title to his compatriot Salah, Egypt's most famous sports export player.
It has been widely reported that Manchester City are close to arranging a move for Malmouche before the transfer window closes on February 3.
Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Markus Kroche admitted that a club had "expressed interest" in the player, although he did not confirm it was Manchester City. The Premier League champions have struggled of late under manager Pep Guardiola.
It is believed that Arsenal and even Liverpool could also be interested in signing Malmouche.
What is Frankfurt's price tag for Marmoush?
According to Sky Sports, Frankfurt are demanding a transfer fee of 80 million euros ($82 million) for Mamouch, but Kroche also refused to confirm this.
"There's no point talking about price," Croche said. "Basically, we've said our goal is to keep this team together. Of course, we've also said if there are extraordinary circumstances, we have to consider letting go of our top performers. We're not there yet."
This will be Frankfurt's second major transfer success in a season and a half, after selling Randall Kolo Muani to Paris Saint-Germain in 2023 for 95 million euros ($103 million at the time).
Which club will Marmoush join?
The Egyptian's agent Abdoun said a decision would be made based on final offers from all potential clubs.
"The Bundesliga has always been a stepping stone to big leagues such as the Premier League or La Liga. If there is any offer, we will discuss it with the club and make the best decision."
He just kept scoring. 😎 pic.twitter.com/blNgBhB9FB
— Frankfurt (@eintracht_us) January 14, 2025