Liverpool proceed to be linked with a transfer for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush – and it’s straightforward to see why they’d have an interest within the Egyptian.
Solely Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush have reached double figures for targets and assists throughout Europe’s prime 5 leagues this season.
Odd, isn’t it? Often, Salah is an unique group of his personal. However his worldwide teammate gatecrashed this one simply sooner or later after the Liverpool No. 11 turned the primary participant to register at the least 10 targets and 10 assists this time period.
Marmoush then matched Salah’s feat by scoring a free-kick towards Stuttgart. It was the third successive recreation by which he’s scored a free-kick.
It was additionally one more reminder of why Liverpool are seemingly within the Eintracht Frankfurt ahead.
However why would the Merseyside membership be contemplating a transfer for him? They’re fairly stacked in assault.
Arne Slot has Salah, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and, when match, Federico Chiesa at his disposal.
The actual fact Salah’s present deal expires on the finish of the season doesn’t actually affect Marmoush both given he’s probably not a proper winger, in order that shouldn’t be used as a cause to push forward with a transfer for Frankfurt’s No. 7.
Why Liverpool would need Marmoush
For starters, Marmoush can play throughout the ahead line.
At Frankfurt this season he’s been paired in assault with Hugo Ekitike – one other participant Liverpool will doubtless be linked with sooner or later – however he does appear to favour the left channel.
The Reds have an array of forwards who can function in that function. It’s protected to imagine Diaz and Gakpo are the left-wing choices whereas Nunez and Jota are vying for the No. 9 function.
When you needed to place Marmoush in a kind of classes it’d in all probability be the latter, despite the fact that he’s not essentially led the road at membership stage as a striker and his greatest kind has are available a two-man assault.
So why may he be profiled as a No. 9 for Slot’s table-toppers?
Jota is damage susceptible, he’s not getting any youthful and he doesn’t have a long-term deal at Anfield. There’s no escaping that.
His present deal expires in two years and there’s been no speak of a brand new one. He’ll desire a pay rise given his significance to the staff however can Liverpool actually log out on an improved deal given his age and damage report? He isn’t precisely dependable.
Then there’s Darwin.
He’s stepped up within the absence of Jota over current weeks however the truth he’s into his third season with the membership and nonetheless not a assured starter can’t be neglected. He scored a purpose towards Aston Villa however then missed two large possibilities.
He isn’t precisely dependable both, simply otherwise altogether to Jota, and with Slot craving management and consistency, there’s an argument that the No. 9 is the antithesis of this.
Nonetheless, Marmoush does share some similarities with Nunez – each are fast, each favour the left aspect and each are quantity shooters. Nonetheless, the Egypt worldwide isn’t as erratic. And that may very well be a key issue.
A transfer for somebody along with his profile is sensible.
He’s bodily, he’s obtained the peak to cope with the rigours of the Premier League at six foot and he’s been a twin purpose menace for Frankfurt over the previous two seasons.
He’s deceptively quick, each with and with out the ball, and he’s impressively sturdy.
What coaches have stated
In a current recreation towards Bayern Munich – a recreation by which he scored two and assisted one other – he bullied Dayot Upamecano. Afterwards, Vincent Kompany singled Marmoush out for reward:
“Marmoush is a participant who’s solely going to get higher with time. What he did for Ekitike’s purpose will not be regular.
“To push previous Upa with energy, nobody did that earlier than for the entire season.
“After which to make the suitable resolution on the finish, the standard in his strike, and the pace. Generally he seems to be fairly relaxed, then when he will get going, he’s actually quick.”
Dino Toppmoller, the Frankfurt boss, summed up his fashion of play completely:
“He’s accountable for producing hazard up entrance. Taking pictures in targets and establishing others. He’s very tough to defend because of his tempo and how briskly he can run.”
Liverpool need harmful gamers within the closing third. It is so simple as that.
The proof
When taking a look at his numbers, he ticks packing containers galore.
In truth, his underlying numbers have at all times been good. His output was simply inconsistent. That would’ve been tied to age or just because he wasn’t given common minutes on a constant foundation.
Throughout his season with Stuttgart, he racked up 1,600 minutes. He scored three targets from an anticipated purpose (xG) fee of 5.1. Marmoush had an xG per 90 of 0.3 from 2.74 photographs and an anticipated assists (xA) per 90 common of 0.11.
It was a restricted pattern dimension, however he was impacting within the closing third.
At Wolfsburg, his xG per 90 was 0.37 from 2.95 photographs.
For many who keep in mind the attacking mannequin Liverpool appeared to favour throughout Michael Edwards’ first stint with the membership, these numbers tallied up with that.
The problem for Marmoush was that, in each of those campaigns, he underperformed.
He was judged on output somewhat than his underlying numbers. He then made the swap to Frankfurt and exploded.
Throughout 3,200 minutes for the reason that begin of final season, the attacker has an non-penalty xG per 90 common of 0.40 from 3.6 photographs. He additionally has an xA per 90 common of 0.3.
In fact, there are some issues when taking a look at him as a participant and as a purpose menace.
There’s a reluctance to make use of his weaker foot, for instance.
Throughout the previous two seasons, simply 10 % of his efforts within the Bundesliga have been through his left foot. He’s at all times attempting to get the ball again onto his stronger aspect and this will make him somewhat predictable.
It was a difficulty with Luis Diaz for fairly a while, although he seems a lot happier to make use of his weaker foot now.
Regardless of this, Marmoush continues to be one thing of a diverse shooter.
1 / 4 of his makes an attempt have come from outdoors of the penalty space. However whenever you’re scoring free-kicks in three successive video games, you’re going to be given the license to shoot from distance. You’ll’ve earned it.
This is able to be an space of his recreation that Liverpool would want to work on in order that good conditions aren’t wasted with poor choices. These aren’t disastrous numbers but when Slot is searching for management, you don’t need your No. 9 taking 25 % of his complete photographs from 18-plus yards.
For context, Jota has tried only one shot from outdoors of the field this time period whereas Darwin is at 36 % following the flurry of efforts towards Villa. Three of his 4 photographs from outdoors of the field this season arrived in that win.
One factor to notice with Marmoush although is he likes to take his photographs pretty early and this can be a trait shared with Jota. Goalkeepers can’t set themselves.
In opposition to Bayern Munich, for instance, per FotMob, certainly one of his targets had an xG worth of 0.18, however his shot placement turns this opportunity into one with an xG-on-target worth of 0.73.
He took it early and this caught Manuel Neuer out somewhat.
It’s additionally well-struck, onerous and low. It’s a Jota end, isn’t it? The Portuguese ahead is extensively thought to be being the perfect finisher on the membership, so why wouldn’t you need one other participant like that?
Marmoush wants this transfer
There’s quite a bit to love about him.
Whereas signing him within the brief time period could appear somewhat extreme, in the long run – with uncertainty surrounding Diaz and Jota – it may show to be a shrewd, proactive signing.
He’s a little bit of a late bloomer after a stop-start profession and might’t move up a possibility to signal for a Premier League title contender, can he?
Marmoush must make the most of the curiosity in him – and it must be Liverpool who profit.
