Aston Villa will push for Omar Marmoush deal after what Pep Guardiola did at Manchester City
Aston Villa may have been offered fresh encouragement in their hope of landing Omar Marmoush.
Villa have shown interest in Marmoush this winter, but are yet to make progress on a deal while he’s away at AFCON with Egypt.
That hasn’t discouraged the Villans from searching for a new forward to replace Donyell Malen after his move to Roma this week.
Tammy Abraham has been linked to Villa, but has yet to complete a move, leaving the door open to sign the Manchester City outcast.
The potential of signing Marmoush may have taken a step closer to becoming possible after Pep Guardiola’s side fell to defeat in the Manchester derby.
Pep Guardiola called on Divine Mukasa at Manchester City
Villa still want Abraham from Besiktas, but if the opportunity to sign the ex-Eintracht Frankfurt man was on the cards, it would be too good to turn down.
The 26-year-old has seriously struggled for minutes this campaign, having featured in just two starts for the Citizens so far.
| Stat (Premier League 25/26) | Omar Marmoush |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Starts | 2 |
| Appearances | 10 |
| Minutes played | 206 |
Marmoush has gone on to play a regular role for Egypt at AFCON, scoring two goals on the way to the third-place play-off against Nigeria on Saturday.
The forward is now destined to return to the Etihad, but it seems that Guardiola has already picked out an academy star to call upon.
Divine Mukasa came on in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford, replacing Erling Haaland while the Citizens were 2-0 down.
It was a surprise to see the 18-year-old come on, but after his second Premier League outing of the season, he could become a regularly used ace in sky blue.
That would spell bad news for Marmoush’s game time, but could represent the perfect opportunity for the Villans to step in.
Omar Marmoush deal door opens at Aston Villa
If Guardiola is unwilling to truly give the Egyptian a chance, it feels as if an Etihad exit would make sense for all parties.
The Spaniard seems willing to give Mukasa a go and has already brought in Antoine Semenyo, so attacking competition has only increased this month.
Marmoush was a true asset for Man City last season and clearly has the quality to score goals in England, but isn’t being given the chance for whatever reason.
He could look to force a move, and there may not be better options on the table than Villa, with Unai Emery’s side sitting third in the Premier League.
Obviously, the claret and blue outfit would have to get Harvey Elliott’s loan off the books before they could agree another temporary deal, but that may prove to be possible later in the window.
Marmoush would be an elite signing, so Villa need to take advantage of any opportunity they can in January.
Stay up to date this winter with our Aston Villa transfer tracker. Click to see every done deal at Villa Park, plus expert reaction from our team of writers.