The Next Egyptian Star: Can Marmoush Step Up As Salah’s Successor At Liverpool?

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Egyptian international Omar Marmoush is gaining recognition as one of the most exciting forwards in European football.

With Liverpool hesitant to renew Mohamed Salah’s contract, there is growing speculation about whether Marmoush could potentially fill Salah’s role at Anfield.

But does Marmoush have what it takes to replace his famous compatriot?

Omar Marmoush against Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano, and Michael Olise

In Egyptian mythology, the Pharaoh served as the intermediary between the gods and humanity. Upon death, it was believed that a Pharaoh ascended to divinity, transferring his sacred powers and authority to the new Pharaoh, often his son.

Transfer that image to today’s football and add a good dose of imagination and you approach the scenario currently unfolding in Liverpool and Frankfurt with Mohamed Salah as the Pharaoh and Omar Marmoush as his possible heir.

Since he arrived from Roma seven-and-a-half years ago, Salah’s exceptional performances have transformed him into an almost legendary figure at Anfield.

In his last seven seasons at Anfield, he has scored 224 goals and there is little to suggest he is slowing down, although judging purely by his age, the 32-year-old is arguably approaching the autumn of his career.

Mohammed Salah celebrating against Southampton

With that in mind, it’s not surprising that Liverpool’s management is beginning to explore the options for his replacement, but it’s still remarkable that a man in such good form six months before the end of his contract could feel more “out than in.”

Egypt’s Rich Striking History

Egypt does not have a deep tradition of producing high-quality forwards. Historically, only two players, Mohammed Zidan and Ahmed Hassan (commonly known as ‘Mido’), have demonstrated the caliber to make a significant impact on the international stage.

But while both arrived with huge potential and initially had scouts flocking to FC Midtjylland and Ajax, they ended up jeopardizing their careers through a lack of discipline despite spells at respected clubs such as Roma, Borussia Dortmund, and Marseille.

Intriguingly, two outstanding Egyptian players are currently making waves in European football. The situation becomes even more remarkable with the speculation in the English media suggesting that Marmoush could potentially succeed his renowned compatriot at Liverpool.

Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush

Only Salah and Marmoush have reached double-digit goals and assists across Europe’s top five leagues this season.

Normally, Salah is in a class of his own but his national team colleague gatecrashed the party just a day after Salah became the first player to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists this season.

Liverpool already Possesses strong attack

Arne Slot has a strong selection of in-form strikers to choose from for the Liverpool team, including talents like Diogo Jota, Luiz Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, and Federico Chiesa.

So why is Marmoush being considered as a potential addition? 

Interestingly, Marmoush doesn’t appear to be a direct like-for-like replacement for Salah.

Looking at their stature, Marmoush is slightly taller and heavier, measuring 1.83 meters and weighing 81kg, while Salah is 1.75 meters and weighs 73kg. In addition, Salah is slightly faster, with a top speed of 36.64 km/h, while Marmoush’s is 35.14 km/h.

The differences between the two players become even more apparent when considering their positions on the pitch.

Salah is primarily deployed as a right winger, while Marmoush usually plays in a two-man attack alongside Hugo Ekitike, where he often drifts toward the left side of the attack.

At Liverpool, Diaz and Gakpo already feature as the left-sided options, with Nunez and Jota battling for the number nine role. If Marmoush was to fit into one of these categories, it would probably be the latter, where he is somewhat more clinical than Nunez.

Repayment for Frankfurt’s trust

Marmoush, who scored from a direct free kick in the 3-2 win over Stuttgart on November 10th for the third game in a row, has scored no more than 17 goals in his previous seasons, but this campaign he has already matched that tally.

Omar Marmoush scoring a direct free kick against Stuttgart

Despite his obvious talent, which twice earned him the Bundesliga Young Player of the Month award while on loan at Stuttgart from Wolfsburg (2021-2022), he has been used in a variety of positions throughout his career.

At Frankfurt, the club that statistically provides the best value for money in Europe, Marmoush has settled in and justified the trust they placed in him something he felt was lacking during his time at Wolfsburg and other German teams.

Omar Marmoush during his time at VfL Wolfsburg

He stepped up as an immediate replacement for Randal Kolo Muani, who departed for PSG.

This has propelled Eintracht Frankfurt to second place in the German Bundesliga, positioning Marmoush as the obvious heir to his celebrated compatriot.

The pressing question now is whether the new Pharaoh has the form to follow in the footsteps of the old master, should a transfer opportunity arise.