The last few weeks have been a challenge for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, having to replace the creativity of the injured Bukayo Saka within the final third.
The Englishman has scored five and registered ten assists in his 16 Premier League appearances, but after surgery on his hamstring, he’s set to be missing until at least March – massively denting the Gunners’ title ambitions.
Ethan Nwaneri has attempted to fill the void in recent outings, scoring in the draw with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday night – bagging his second top-flight goal of his professional career.
As for the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard they have often shared the attacking roles but have struggled to replicate the performance levels of the injured academy graduate.
Such form could see the hierarchy dip into the transfer market to try and bolster Arteta’s side to aid their title ambitions, with one player already on their radar after the opening of the transfer window this week.
Arsenal in the race to sign 18-goal forward in January
According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal are one of a number of English sides in the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush before the end of the ongoing window.
However, Manchester City and Liverpool are said to hold the advantage at this stage, with Aston Villa, Newcastle and Chelsea also monitoring the Egyptian’s progress.
The 25-year-old is currently enjoying the best season of his professional career to date, scoring 18 times and registering 11 assists in just 24 matches – only behind Harry Kane in the Bundesliga goalscoring charts.
As a result of his recent form, the German side are demanding a fee in the region of €70m (£58m) to part ways with their star forward, but it remains to be seen if any side is willing to meet such a price tag.
However, given his form, it could be a potential bargain, leading to comparisons to one of Europe’s leading talents over the past couple of months.
Why Marmoush could be Arteta’s very own Mbappe
Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé has cemented himself as one of the biggest stars in world football over the last couple of years after his impressive form within the attacking third.
The 26-year-old has notched 14 goals in his first year in Spain after joining the European giants on a free transfer from PSG over the summer, following his unheard-of goal record during his spell at the Parc des Princes.
Mbappé registered 235 goals in 264 appearances for the Parisians, whilst also managing a hat-trick in the World Cup final back in 2022, becoming only the second player in football history to manage such a feat.
Arsenal would undoubtedly love to have a player of Mbappé’s quality, but a move for Marmoush could allow them to sign a player of similar level, especially when delving into his underlying figures from 2024/25.
As a result of the Egyptian’s performances, he’s been dubbed as one of the most similar players in Europe’s top five leagues to the Real Madrid ace by FBref, with the Frankfurt talisman even outperforming the Frenchman in various areas since the start of the campaign.
Games played
15
17
Goals & assists
20
12
Goal per shot on target
0.4
0.2
Shot-creating actions
5.7
3.3
Take-ons completed
50%
40%
Aerials won
0.40
0.06
Like Mbappe, the Egypt forward possesses plenty of pace and ability to beat his man. That said, Marmoush, who’s recently been dubbed as “one of Europe’s best forwards” by analyst David Segar, has managed more combined goals and assists than the French international – also averaging a better goal per shot on target rate – highlighting his clinical nature in the final third.
He’s also completed more take-ons and won more aerials per 90, offering that all-round centre-forward that Arteta and the Gunners have been craving over the last couple of seasons.
It may be a risky move splashing nearly £60m on a player who’s currently enjoying a purple patch, potentially running the risk of the attacker being unable to sustain his recent performance levels.
However, Marmoush has showcased that he’s able to better some of the very best talents in Europe, which could dramatically improve the club’s forward line in their pursuit of ending a two-decade wait for a league triumph.
With City currently ahead in the race for his signature, the Gunners hierarchy need to act swiftly to prevent missing out on the 25-year-old and subsequently improving one of their main rivals.
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