Tottenham Hotspur are in a pretty good situation heading into the final phase of the campaign, the last international sojourn before this summer's country-contested tournaments is now concluded.
The London-based club are fifth in the Premier League, right behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, having built from the rubble of the 2022/23 term to hand a hopeful club the cherished seed of optimism, at the dawn of a promising new chapter.
Faint heart never won fair athlete, and Ange Postecoglou knows that his team must indeed ramp up the gas to succeed against the likes of Villa and Manchester United, with the latter creeping closer to Champions League security.
Recruitment has been shrewd and calculated but there is work to do and centre-forward will be a priority during the summer.
Spurs' transfer targets
According to reports over at Sport BILD in Germany – via Sport Witness – Tottenham are one of the main contenders for Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush, with the German outfit even expecting Spurs to make a bid.
The Egypt international has been in fine form for Die Adler and while they would agree to a sale, a lofty price tag approaching €60m (£51m) may well dissuade suitors.
Dynamic and increasingly deadly, Marmoush is not the conventional striker but then when's Ange ever been averse to plucking players of a more positionally-flexible style?
Omar Marmoush's style of play
Frankfurt have not had Marmoush, aged 25, on the books long, signing him from Bundesliga rivals VFL Wolfsburg on a free transfer last summer.
No wonder manager Dino Toppmöller is happy to cash in; Frankfurt would make an astronomical profit, and given that his squad is nine points behind fifth-placed RB Leipzig, investment might not be a bad shout.
A versatile forward, two-footed and impressive across both flanks to complement his favoured central placement, Marmoush has been praised by his manager, who said: "He brings a completely different energy to our attacking play through his penetrating runs and tireless work rate."
Marmoush has made quite the impression since switching shirts in 2023, having posted 15 goals and six assists from 33 matches – 29 starts – finding prolific form in a principal deployment as the focal frontman.
The 6-foot Egyptian ranks among the top 7% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 12% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref, with his clinical, creative and all-producing performances leading to comparisons with some exciting strikers.
1.
Edin Dzeko
Fenerbahce
2.
Alexander Isak
Newcastle United
3.
Memphis Depay
Atletico Madrid
4.
Rasmus Hojlund
Manchester United
5.
Angel Correa
Atletico Madrid
"He works extremely hard and is hard to defend against," said the ever-vocal Toppmöller, delighted with his acquisition's progress. "His pace makes him an awkward opponent for defenders when he runs in behind them. I like that he is very diligent and always listens. His goals are a reward for his effort."
The £26k-per-week talent might not be the typical centre-forward but he's proving himself to be a solid marksman with a skill set that stretches far further.
With his array of abilities, it's surely worth a punt, especially given the murmurings concerning Richarlison in the transfer market.
According to reports in Italy – via Caught Offside – Richarlison could be tempted to abandon ship this summer following interest from the Middle East despite going from strength to strength under Postecoglou's leadership, with the Australian manager a big admirer of his Brazilian sharpshooter.
Still, Richarlison is probably aware that Tottenham plan to invest in a forward this summer, he likely knows that Heung-min Son will remain an intrinsic, untouchable member of Postecoglou's project. Perhaps he's attuned to the fact that a lucrative move elsewhere could be worthwhile.
Why Omar Marmoush could replace Richarlison
Richarlison joined Tottenham from Premier League rivals Everton in a bumper package rising to £60m in 2022, with the 26-year-old enduring a torrid time last season and scoring just one league goal from 27 outings.
However, Postecoglou's appointment has been a providential move for the menacing forward, having overcome early-season injuries to plundered nine goals from ten Premier League matches, albeit returning to the injury front for three recent fixtures with a knee issue.
He ranks among the top 11% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 5% for touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 16% for tackles, the top 9% for interceptions and clearances and the top 1% for blocks per 90.
Matches played
21
23
Starts
19
17
Goals
10
10
Assists
6
3
Pass accuracy
72%
70%
Key passes per game
1.4
0.7
Dribbles per game
1.1
0.4
Recoveries per game
2.9
1.8
Tackles per game
0.8
0.7
Duels won per game
5.1
3.1
As the table above projects, both Richarlison and Marmoush have been in the same ballpark vis-a-vis goalscoring in their respective divisions, with the Frankfurt man adding double the assists and proving to be a more creative and multi-functioning player.
Both forwards are comparatively combative and chalk up pretty high tackling averages for those of their position, but Marmoush is demonstrably more energetic and tenacious, reflected through his superior metrics.
Moreover, the Egyptian is far more progressive with his play, evidenced by his earlier FBref statistics, and offers abilities that could be translated across myriad positions for Postecoglou's side, perhaps forming a wonderful partnership with the also dynamic Son.
Given that Spurs' South Korean skipper is one of the finest finishers that the Premier League has ever seen and that exciting young centre-forwards such as Alejo Veliz, Will Lankshear and Dane Scarlett are pushing for spots in Postecoglou's set-up in the years to come, adding Marmoush might be the perfect move to make.
Especially if Richarlison is sold; the forward's recent purple patch has been quite the spectacle but Marmoush appears to offer the goalscoring prowess and much more.