Man City plot ambitious £50m move for ‘the next Mo Salah’ as Newcastle United hero ‘agrees’ dramatic exit

Premier League champions Manchester City are believed to have kickstarted internal discussions over a stunning move for highly-rated Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush this January.

Pep Guardiola’s side currently sit sixth in the Premier League at the half way stage of the season and are already a seemingly-insurmountable 12 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool in the title race. The Sky Blues have once again been heavily reliant on the goalscoring prowess of Erling Haaland, with the Norwegian bagging 16 in 20 appearances this season.

However, the remainder of the Manchester City team, particularly in the wide areas, have struggled to find the net on a regular basis, and as it stands defender Josko Gvardiol’s tally of four goals make him the club’s second top scorer in the league so far.

Guardiola is keen to resolve this problem in the winter window and has reportedly identified in-form Eintracht Frankfurt star Marmoush as the type of player that can rejuvenate his side’s attacking threat. Marmoush is rapidly becoming one of the most sought after players in German football after registering an incredible 18 goals and 12 assists in 24 matches throughout the season so far.

Such form currently leaves Frankfurt at third position, in the final automatic qualification berth, having played only once in Europe’s premier club competition since 1960 – two seasons ago. The 35-time Egyptian international has been a catalyst for the club’s sensational start and in recent months has been labelled as the potential heir to Mohamed Salah due to his outstanding goalscoring qualities, his composure in possession, his incredible speed and his ability to seamlessly dribble around opposition defenders.

The Guardian understands that Marmoush is valued at around £50m and has emerged as a top January target for Manchester City. However, Frankfurt’s ongoing pursuit of European football could prove to be a stumbling block.

The 3AM verdict: Omar Marmoush is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting forwards in European football and he could potentially have a transformative impact on Manchester City’s season if he was to move to the Etihad. As it stands, City are missing depth in attacking areas on the bench after the sale of Julian Alvarez while the likes of Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku are failing to offer the goalscoring threat that players such as Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus all showed prior to their departures. At £50m Marmoush would be good value for money and he is also capable of operating behind the striker and in the wide areas if needed.

Newcastle United semi-final hero agrees dramatic exit

Martin Dubravka picked up his fifth clean sheet in seven matches for Newcastle United as they earned an impressive 2-0 away victory at Arsenal in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at the Emirates Stadium. The experienced Slovakian impressed on his 171st outing in Black and White, making a number of key saves throughout the game while also commanding his penalty area well and dealing with the incredible set piece threat that the Gunners posed.

However, after the game, as supporters celebrated the victory, the 35-year-old, who signed for Newcastle in 2018 was seen emotionally bidding farewell to the away supporters as speculation surrounding a January exit to Saudi Arabia continues to intensify. Fabrizio Romano understands Dubravka has an agreement in principle with Al Shabab over contract terms and understands that he’s now waiting for Newcastle’s final decision before making the move to the Middle East. Newcastle World, however, understands that the Magpies are trying to change his mind due to the manner of his recent performances.

3AM Verdict: Martin Dubravka arrived at Newcastle as something of unknown quantity in January 2018 and proved to be one of the most transformative signings of the Rafa Benitez era by helping the club beat the drop on several instances. Since then there have been highs and lows for the Slovakian shot-stopper, but it’s probably fair to say that at this moment in time he’s playing some of the best football of his career, and in particular his composure with the ball at his feet has helped calm down the Newcastle defence and bring a sense of stability that had been missing early in the campaign. At 35 years of age, he is only likely to be sold for a nominal fee in January, and with Nick Pope injured until mid-February and struggling for form this season, Dubravka should be kept at the club until at least the summer when his existing deal expires.