From Wadi Degla to Man City: Omar Marmoush’s €75M Rise

"We're waiting for the moment it becomes official, and Omar Marmoush is finally unveiled in the jersey of Manchester City.

It will be a monumental moment for Egyptian football—a kid who grew up in the small town of Wadi Degla and is about to reach Pep Guardiola's team!"

Egypt is in a ‘Marmoush-mania’. Last Wednesday, morning shows in the Nile country focused entirely on the transfer of the Eintracht Frankfurt star to the English champions for a record fee of around €75 million, plus another €5 million in bonuses. The Egyptian addition to Pep Guardiola’s squad, who is in stellar form with 20 goals and 14 assists this season, will earn an impressive gross salary of €17 million annually—a significant jump from his previous €2 million at Frankfurt. He is expected to be unveiled at the blue side of Manchester by the weekend.

But numbers and figures aside, is the man who was nicknamed "Baby Salah" at the start of his career and aims to dominate the Premier League truly the next global football star? And how could he help Salah achieve even greater heights than he has today?

"This boy, to bring out the best in him, must always be on the pitch and play in the position he loves," says Mohamed Aboutrika, a current BeIN Sports analyst, former captain of Al Ahly and Egypt, and the closest thing Egypt has to Diego Maradona. "Guardiola! Forget about rotations, especially when it comes to him. Let him play and express his creativity."

Aboutrika, who is living in exile in Qatar due to his support for the Muslim Brotherhood, remains a very popular pundit in Egypt. He is considered one of the greatest legends of Arab football but also someone surrounded by a sense of unfulfilled potential, as he never played in Europe. Aboutrika led the Egyptian national team to three consecutive Africa Cup of Nations titles between 2006 and 2010. His word on a player carries significant weight.

Aboutrika's comments reflect the sentiments in Egypt about Marmoush's historic move to City. Why historic? Because Marmoush, a 26-year-old who until recently was barely a household name in global football, is set to become the most expensive Arab and African footballer ever. Expectations are sky-high for him to restore Egypt's footballing glory.

An usual path, and a quite similar to Mohamed Salah’s one, from anonymously to a mega signing. Marmoush at City (Photo courtesy: Manchester City)

From Canada to Wadi Degla to Manchester

Marmoush was born in Cairo but grew up in Canada, where his parents, both Canadian citizens, worked. In fact, as a citizen, Marmoush was eligible to play for Canada's national team. But fortunately for Egypt, his parents returned to the country, enrolled him at a young age in the Wadi Degla academy—a relatively small club in the Egyptian capital—and the rest is history.

Mohamed Rashwan, the manager and kit man of Wadi Degla, where Marmoush took his first steps, told BabaGol in a call from Cairo: "From the moment Omar arrived here, there was something special about him. He was a positive guy and scored between 40 and 50 goals in his first youth season. He's a good person, a leader by example and humility. He was our youth captain, and it was clear he would go far."

At 17, he made his first-team debut for Wadi Degla, coming on in the 77th minute of the final matchday against Al Ittihad Alexandria and assisting the winning goal. During the offseason, Marmoush impressed at a friendly tournament in the UAE, catching the eyes of several scouts and Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs, who was present. Giggs informed his agent friends about the Egyptian teenager, and Marmoush’s reputation began to spread. Wolfsburg in Germany invited him for trials, was impressed, and paid €70,000 to the small Wadi Degla club. And so Marmoush landed in Germany. In a manner reminiscent of Salah—who signed with Basel following a friendly with Egypt’s Olympic team—Marmoush skipped playing for Egyptian giants Al Ahly or Zamalek.

"He has a purpose and isn’t afraid," Rashwan adds. "Even in games against Al Ahly and Zamalek, he wasn’t scared. As a child, he would always go head-to-head with the rival team’s top player."

From there, Marmoush began his journey, but he didn’t truly break through. He played sparingly for Wolfsburg’s second team, went on loan to St. Pauli and Stuttgart, and in 2021 scored three goals and provided five assists in the Bundesliga, earning the nickname "Baby Salah." It was nice, but it also raised questions about whether it was premature.

In the national team, things weren’t clicking either. Although he was given the iconic No. 22 jersey worn by Aboutrika (and briefly by Salah), he couldn’t find his footing. He was part of the 2021 Africa Cup campaign, which ended in a loss in the final, and in the 2023 edition last year, he was as lackluster as the rest of the team. Without an injured Salah, Egypt failed to win and was eliminated on penalties in the Round of 16 by the Democratic Republic of Congo. With just six goals in 35 international appearances and two failed attempts to reclaim the continental crown Egypt hasn’t won in 15 years, talk of Marmoush as a disappointment began to surface.

But then he joined Frankfurt under coach Dino Toppmöller, and something completely changed. Marmoush started scoring prolifically and became a key player. Until the 2023/24 season, he had never finished a season with double-digit goals but ended that season with 17. After 37 goals and 20 assists in a season and a half, he is heading to England as one of the hottest players in the world.

"The comparison to Salah is inevitable," says Marmoush’s former team manager. "And honestly? Marmoush at City can do incredible things. I’m not saying Mohamed [Salah] should worry, but yes, there’s a new Egyptian in England, and he’s no pushover."

Parallels and Rivalry with Salah, and a Nation's Hope

The similarities between Marmoush and Salah are striking. Neither played for Egypt’s two biggest clubs, Al Ahly or Zamalek, and neither is closely associated with one. Both entered European football through the backdoor of Egyptian football—Salah from El Mokawloon and Marmoush from Wadi Degla. Both players emerged relatively late, after being considered promising but initially falling short of expectations. And both carry the weight of Aboutrika’s legacy and the glory he brought to Egypt.

Salah, despite leading Egypt to the 2018 World Cup, hasn’t been able to deliver the crucial title Egypt has won seven times in the past. Marmoush, as mentioned, has failed in two recent tournaments. Moreover, neither Salah (since his visit to Israel with Basel to face Maccabi Tel Aviv) nor Marmoush speaks on political or social issues like Aboutrika, maintaining a clean, apolitical, and more international image. Aboutrika, by contrast, is seen as "more Arab and Egyptian" than they are.

In late 2025, Mohamed Salah will face one of the biggest tests of his career—the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Since his breakout at the 2012 Olympics, the weight of Egypt’s national team has rested almost solely on his shoulders. Perhaps now, with Marmoush reborn, things could be different. Egyptians will cross their fingers for "Baby Salah" at Manchester City and, of course, pray that he continues to improve and helps the Pharaohs win the continental title after years of bitter disappointment.