Nottingham Forest summer transfer target is showing ‘greatness’ after £25m near miss

Nottingham Forest have got by up front in the early stages of this new Premier League season, but one can understand why Nuno Espirito Santo was keen on another forward option in the summer transfer window, prior to the deadline passing at the end of last month.

Forest made some eye-catching additions over the summer but weren’t able to land another quality striker to add to their ranks and compete with Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi; Wood has been the player Nuno has leaned on so far and his three goals have gone a long way to ensuring Forest have nine points on the board thus far.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi have chipped in with goals, too, while summer imports Jota Silva and Ramon Sosa have struck in league and cup, but Forest haven’t yet hit their straps in front of goal and have relied on a strong defensive base to eke out results in largely low-scoring affairs thus far.

Eddie Nketiah left Arsenal in the summer to move to Crystal Palace, as Forest – interested – watched on. Santiago Gimenez, Feyenoord’s goal machine, chose to remain in the Netherlands and he has four goals this season after netting 49 in the previous two combined. The other forward on Forest’s list late in the window was Omar Marmoush.

The Eintracht Frankfurt, an Egyptian international, had had a highly successful first full season at Frankfurt, having moved from Bundesliga rivals Wolfsburg – where, in fairness, he hadn’t torn it up – and he bagged 17 goals for the club – it’s fair to say, though, in September of this year, he is already well on his way to eclipsing that tally.

Marmoush chose to remain in Germany and is repaying the faith shown in him by his current employers, having netted six goals in his first five Bundesliga games of the season. As we approach the October international break, Marmoush is top of the German top tier goalscoring charts and is leading even Bayern Munich and England hitman Harry Kane at this moment in time. His manager Dino Toppmöller gushed as he talked him up recently.

“Omar Marmoush is not just a good player,” Toppmoller told reporters. “He possesses the ability to make penetrating runs or slip in close. His versatility is a testament to his greatness on the field. It becomes quite a challenge to contain a player of his calibre. He is the catalyst for our attacking threat. His ability to score and set up chances makes him a formidable force.

“His speed and agility make him a nightmare for defenders. Whether finishing from range or with close-range precision, his technical prowess and vision are exceptional. His current form is outstanding, and his comfort within the team is evident. His comfort within the squad is pivotal to his recent success. He has seamlessly integrated into the club and become a vital asset for us.”