Updated: 12 Aug 2026 16:03 BST |
4 min read
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Manchester United’s search for a new attacker has been all over the place this summer amid the uncertainty surrounding Marcus Rashford.
The England international has unexpectedly returned to the club after a successful loan spell at Barcelona, and it now increasingly looks as though he will stay with his boyhood club.
Despite Rashford’s impact in Catalunya, the reigning LaLiga champions did not exercise their €30 million purchase option. That initially did not change much for Man Utd, but over time, it has become clear that finding the right club for him is anything but straightforward.
Rashford will only consider moves to top European sides, and he has no interest whatsoever in joining another Premier League club permanently. There haven’t been any attractive offers, so he remains on the books at Man Utd.
With Michael Carrick now at the helm, the Red Devils are open to keeping the winger, albeit reluctantly due to his hefty wage. Unless something extraordinary happens between now and the end of the window, Rashford will likely stay put.
Marmoush would have been perfect for Man Utd
Man Utd had been exploring the market for potential options for the left wing, such as Crysencio Summerville and Iliman Ndiaye, but they are not expected to bring anyone in unless Rashford departs.
That is disappointing because arguably the club’s best option for that position is already in Manchester. The issue is, well, that he plays for local rivals Man City.
Egypt international Omar Marmoush has struggled for regular starting opportunities since joining the Cityzens in a big-money deal from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2025. There is now a decent argument to be made that he joined the wrong Manchester club.
Marmoush had starred in the Bundesliga as a striker, but City obviously already had the irreplaceable Erling Haaland on their books, while Pep Guardiola preferred a more traditional winger like Jeremy Doku on the left flank, limiting the 27-year-old’s minutes.
After an underwhelming first year at Man City, transfer speculation began to swirl this January, but Marmoush decided to stay put and fight for his place. He is now once again the subject of rumours.
New Man City boss Enzo Maresca has insisted that the ball is very much in Marmoush’s court. “Players work every day, they want to play so when they don’t play they are not happy,” he said on Monday.
“Omar did not play a lot last year so his desire is probably to play more minutes. It doesn’t mean that he isn’t going to play more minutes here but it’s also his decision, and he needs to decide.”
There is no guarantee that he will leave the Etihad before Deadline Day, but according to data analytics firm SciSports, Marmoush would be the perfect forward for Man Utd.
SciSports’ Career Advice tool analyses several factors such as game time, development prospects and playing style, and then calculates a Club Fit rating. Man Utd are Marmoush’s best option – by some distance.
The Red Devils clock in with a whopping score of 88 out of 100, while AS Roma come in second with 81. Marmoush would kill two birds with one stone at Old Trafford: he could fill in on the left wing but also act as a significant upgrade on Joshua Zirkzee, who may yet leave this summer.
Of course, we’re not suggesting that this move could happen – it surely couldn’t for rivalry, financial and squad-building reasons (Rashford hasn’t left) – but it is clear that Marmoush joined the wrong Manchester club in 2025.
Would he have fared better at Man Utd? Who knows, but 16 goals in 18 months at Man City are not a great return for a player who had bagged 20 at Frankfurt in the preceding six months.
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