Aston Villa have been linked with a stunning move for a forward that scored 28 times last season.
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Aston Villa kept their title dreams alive in fine fashion by recording their first away victory against Newcastle United in 21 years on Sunday. It wasn’t a vintage display in terms of possession or dominance, but it was a real show of quality and an indication of just how good Unai Emery’s team are in the decisive moments in the final third.
Emi Buendía opened the scoring with a phenomenal strike from distance while Ollie Watkins killed any hopes of a Newcastle comeback by slotting away a second in the final moments. The result leaves Villa just four points adrift off leaders Arsenal after the Gunners’ latest slip-up against Manchester United, and could open the door for the Lions to challenge for a first title since 1980.
The Villans are desperate to take advantage of this opportunity. They are close to re-signing both Tammy Abraham and Douglas Luiz to add experience to the squad - but could still have their biggest move yet up their sleeve as we approach deadline day.
Aston Villa plot shock move for Omar Marmoush
Aston Villa are reported to be exploring a blockbuster move to sign Manchester City frontman Omar Marmoush before the window closes.
Caught Offside claims the 26-year-old is becoming unsettled at the Etihad Stadium due to a lack of first team opportunities and adds that he’s considering his long-term future with the club. The outlet says sources close to the player insist that his desire is to remain in England rather than pursue a move elsewhere in Europe or in Saudi Arabia - opening the door to clubs like Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, who are believed to be at the front of the queue in terms of potential suitors.
In the last six months, Marmoush has had a challenging period. He’s only made 11 league appearances all season and has only been selected to start on two occasions. He rarely gets a look-in behind the imperious Erling Haaland and has found his minutes in wide areas much more limited than last season following the arrivals of Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki, along with Phil Foden’s return to form.
Marmoush recently scored his first goal of the season in a rare start against Wolves over the weekend after returning from international duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, but still faces a decision on what’s coming next in his career.
Marmoush could make the difference in the title race
If Marmoush does decide to leave, he’ll definitely not be short of potential options. In fact, less than 12 months ago, it’d be hard to name a more in-demand footballer on the planet. In the first of last season while playing for Frankfurt, Marmoush registered a staggering 15 goals and 10 assists in his last 17 league matches for Frankfurt. He also scored a further four goals in the six games he played in the Europa League while forming an incredible strike partnership with Hugo Ekitike at Deutsche Bank Park.
Pep Guardiola’s side spent a reported £59m to bring the striker to the football club ahead of Liverpool. They saw glimpses of what he was capable of straight away with the player scoring seven and assisting twice in 16 matches, notably bagging the Goal of the Season with a stunning strike against Bournemouth while also netting a phenomenal hat-trick against Newcastle United in just his third appearance for the football club.
Many expected Marmoush to be an even bigger player this season but that simply hasn’t materialized so far. A move to Aston Villa, however, could rejuvenate the 26-year-old and potentially give the West Midlands side the edge in the title race if Tottenham don’t come in with a superior offer.
City, who are also in the title race, need to be careful when considering selling Marmoush to a championship-chasing rival. However, it’s fair to say that it’s not something that’s bothered Pep Guardiola too much in the past. For example, he allowed Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to join Arsenal, and let Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling go to Chelsea.
“I think that means you are a small club. Big clubs make decisions for the benefit for all three parties: players, both clubs – and agents sometimes. Really, it’s not a problem,” Guardiola told beIN Sports in 2023. “So if [my players] want to go to Chelsea or [Manchester] United or, I don’t know, Liverpool or whatever, what is the problem? They are happy to be there, the club is happy for the transfer. Another player would come and we’d keep going: good spirit, good mood, and try to do it.”
Quite where Marmoush would fit in at Villa if he did join remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt at his best he could make a huge difference to the landscape of the title race if he finds form and confidence quickly. As for whether a bid materialises or not, we’ll find out within the week.