Underused by Pep Guardiola this season, Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush could be one of the headline names of the upcoming summer transfer window. The Egyptian striker is attracting significant interest from Spain.
Signed in the January 2025 window for a fee of around £64m (€75m), Marmoush has seen his playing time drop considerably compared to the 2024-25 campaign. Restricted to a backup role behind Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland, the Egyptian has started just seven matches for Manchester City since the beginning of the 2025-26 season across the Premier League and Champions League combined.
In the games that matter, the former Eintracht Frankfurt marksman has found the net only once in the league, against Wolverhampton (2-0) on January 24, leaving him with a modest return of four goals in 24 appearances in all competitions. It marks a sharp decline from his first six months in Guardiola's squad, when he made 14 Premier League starts and scored seven goals.
Atletico Madrid want Marmoush to replace Alvarez
Should the trend continue, Marmoush would be justified in seeking a move away this summer. Under contract until June 2029, the City number seven currently has a market value of €65m, a figure that does not appear to be deterring a number of suitors who have already registered their interest. Barcelona view him as a plan B behind their priority target Julian Alvarez, in a game of musical chairs that could also involve Atletico Madrid.
According to journalist Ekrem Konur, Diego Simeone's Atletico have entered the race for the Manchester City forward. The Madrid club have earmarked him as a potential replacement for Julian Alvarez, who is a target for both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, with the latter reportedly prepared to table a huge offer in the coming months.
At this stage, it is more likely that Marmoush would push for a departure than Manchester City would initiate one. The club openly recruited the Cairo-born forward as Haaland's understudy and have no other viable alternative in the event of an injury to the Norwegian. But for how much longer can this situation last before frustration gets the better of the player?
