Exclusive: Man City make late-January Omar Marmoush transfer decision
Manchester City have made a final decision that they will not sanction an exit for Omar Marmoush before the end of the window, sources have told Football Insider.
Pep Guardiola is keen to keep his entire squad intact as they look to compete for trophies on all fronts, while the forward is hopeful that he will receive more minutes in the second half of the season.
Marmoush started and scored in Manchester City’s win over Wolves last time out, and sources say that there is now an acceptance at the Etihad Stadium that they will need every player at their disposal if they are to reel in Arsenal at the top of the table.
Aston Villa and Tottenham have both been linked with a move for the 26-year-old since the start of the winter window, but a deal is now set to be out of reach for any interested parties.
Omar Marmoush takes his chance from Pep Guardiola
Aston Villa have been the favourites to sign Marmoush, but it has now become clear that he will be going nowhere before the end of the month.
The Egyptian made a big impact for Manchester City after his £59million move from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2025, as he notched seven goals from just 16 Premier League appearances in the second half of last season.
The Citizens’ recent moves to strengthen their forward options through the likes of Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo have seen him pushed down the pecking order somewhat, but he took his chance when it came against Wolves.
Marmoush hadn’t started a game for Guardiola’s side since November, prior to last Saturday’s victory, but it took him just six minutes to open the scoring for his team.
City’s depth will be hugely important if they are to compete for an unprecedented quadruple once again, and Guardiola will know that he cannot risk burning out Erling Haaland by playing him in every game.
The Norwegian will need to be rested strategically throughout the run-in, and Marmoush is the closest alternative for Guardiola.
Man City slammed by former employee for Bodo/Glimt gesture
Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson recently told Football Insider that he feels his former club’s gesture to refund fans was “unnecessary” after the team were beaten 3-1 away at Bodo/Glimt.
The Premier League giants slipped to a shock defeat against the Norwegian upstarts in their last Champions League outing, with the players clubbing together to refund the match tickets for the fans who attended the game.
Borson suggested that the trip into the Arctic Circle was likely to have cost fans up to £1,000, and felt that as a result, the offer of a £25 reimbursement on their match tickets was not needed.
The club viewed the move as an indication to the fans that the players understood that their performance was unacceptable, but Borson felt that would have already been clear to those who watched the game.