Enzo Maresca has issued a clear ultimatum to Omar Marmoush at Manchester City, with Newcastle United among the clubs interested in the Egyptian forward.
Marmoush joined City from Eintracht Frankfurt in January for £59 million but has found regular playing time hard to come by, with Erling Haaland firmly established as the first-choice striker.
The 27-year-old impressed during pre-season under Maresca, scoring twice in a 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid in Seoul on Sunday. However, the new City boss admitted after the match that Marmoush's future remains uncertain.
Maresca's ultimatum
Maresca, who succeeded Pep Guardiola in the summer, said: "The answer has to be similar to the one I answer about James Trafford. Players work every day, they want to play so when they don't play they are not happy. 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."
City have made it clear they will not stand in the way of any player who wants to leave this summer. With the transfer window closing in three weeks, interested clubs are being urged to act quickly.
Newcastle's interest
Newcastle are reportedly preparing a £55 million bid for Marmoush, but they face competition from Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur. The Magpies, however, have a financial advantage after several high-profile sales this summer.
The club sold Anthony Gordon to Barcelona for £69 million, Sandro Tonali to Spurs for £100 million, and Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal for £75 million. This leaves manager Matthias Jaissle with a substantial war chest to strengthen his squad.
Newcastle's attack struggled last season, with Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade failing to deliver consistently. Marmoush could provide the spark needed to improve their offensive output in the Premier League.
The decision now rests with Marmoush: whether he is content playing second fiddle to Haaland or seeks a new challenge elsewhere.
