If Pep Guardiola and Manchester City had any doubts over whether to spend up to £67m on transfer target Omar Marmoush, they only needed to drop a call to former captain Vincent Kompany.

The ex-City captain saw first hand what Marmoush could do when his Bayern Munich side were held to a 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt earlier this season.

That day, Marmoush set up Hugo Ekitike's goal to put Frankfurt ahead after falling behind, before popping up with a 94th minute equaliser to earn a point in a thrilling game. And he's not looked back since.

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“What he did for [Hugo] Ekitike’s goal is not normal," Kompany admitted post-match. "To push past Upa [Dayot Upamecano] with strength, no one did that before for the whole season."

Marmoush has continued his brilliant form in the following months - netting his 20th goal of the season this week plus his 13th and 14th assists, earning praise for his attitude amid City's talks over a £60m deal (Frankfurt are holding out for £67m and his form only strengthens their position).

Having signed Marmoush on a free transfer in 2023 from Wolfsburg, Eintracht are set for a huge profit whatever the final fee agreed. He had been sent out on loan twice from former club Wolfsburg, whom he joined in 2017 as an 18-year-old, finding form at St Pauli but ultimately failing to make a huge impact in the Wolfsburg first team.

"He was mainly a winger at Wolfsburg," explains Bild's Frankfurt reporter Johannes Wolf, in conversation with the Manchester Evening News.

"He showed his skills and potential every now and then, but he failed to keep his performances on a constant level and struggled with his finish. But, as [Eintracht Sporting Director] Markus Krösche told me, his advanced stats and underlying numbers were so good, that they were convinced that he could reach another dimension. He even surpassed that bar.

"So yes, he also can play on the wing. But I doubt he will be a better fit than Jeremy Doku or Savinho. He has his biggest strengths at playing the number nine spot or a little bit deeper. During this season he showed that he can be impactful when he falls a bit deeper. But he will need his space and freedom."

So Marmoush has the stats and experience to essentially play the Julian Alvarez role over the last season or two, and it has been his time in Frankfurt that has seen him become a fully-established number nine.

The issue at the Etihad will be competition with Erling Haaland. Marmoush is averaging a goal or assist every 57 minutes, almost half as much as Haaland this season - but Haaland is undroppable and Marmoush will have to find a role around the Norwegian - just like Alvarez did.

Could they play together then?

Johannes thinks so: "Throughout last season he played as a lone striker, scored goals and gained a lot of confidence. He recognized that he can create a lot on his own. But since playing alongside Hugo Ekitiké (mainly since March 2023) he found even another gear. Having another highly skilled, very impactful striker led to even better numbers.

"Marmoush is kind of a late bloomer. Like many players from Arabia. Just look at Mohamed Salah and his difficult years in Europe. [Manager] Dino Toppmöller, a striker during his playing career, worked a lot with him. He once told us, that they completely overhauled Marmoush shot technique.

"When he came, he was too unprecise, now he has an outstanding technique. Paired with his elite speed and dangerous dribbling he became such a offensive weapon."

The Salah comparison is an obvious one - they are Egypt teammates and could soon be rivals for at least the second half of the season. Salah joined Liverpool in a similar situation to Marmoush's current status; he was 25 as Marmoush is now, had proven himself in Italy, and arrived in the Premier League for a significant transfer fee.

"Will he be the next Salah?" asks Johannes. "That's his big dream. Will he get that far? The task will be difficult. He needs to find better solutions against deep defending teams. In Frankfurt his strengths got out the best, when he had space und could use his speeds on counter attacks.

"He also will need to adapt to the strength of the Premier and the tactical discipline of Pep. But looking at Marmoush, you should not forget that he has a great skill to rise with the occasion. Don’t underestimate that and the fact, that he always wanted to play for a top-club in England."

Salah, for his part, has tried to downplay comparisons to take pressure off Marmoush. "He is incredibly talented, but people need to stop comparing him to me, saying he’s 'the new Salah' and that he’ll do what I did or even better, this doesn’t help him; it only puts him under constant pressure," the Liverpool winger said.

"He’s just starting out. Let him live his own experience and enjoy it. He’s doing something different, in his own unique way."

Having turned down Fulham and Nottingham Forest in the summer, Marmoush's self-confidence for a 'shy' player has paid off for himself and for Eintracht. Maybe too, for City.

“Marmoush is a player who’s only going to get better with time,” Kompany predicted back in October. "And then to make the right decision at the end, the quality in his strike, and the speed. Sometimes he looks quite relaxed, then when he gets going, he’s really fast.”