We’re into the final week of the January transfer window, and while the done deals have started getting over the line at an increased rate in recent days, there are surely still many more moves to be completed before the window closes at 11pm GMT on Monday February 3.
African players have been at the heart of some of the biggest transfers of the window so far, with Omar Marmoush commanding January’s biggest fee when he joined Manchester City in a £59 million deal from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Here’s a recap of Africa’s biggest talking points of the window so far, and the potential deals that may get over the line in the days to come.
What’s happened so far?
The biggest deal of January so far has involved one of Africa’s emerging superstars, with Egypt‘s Marmoush joining City following a scintillating start to the season at Eintracht Frankfurt.
He leaves Germany as the Bundesliga‘s second highest scorer, behind only Harry Kane, having truly come into his own as one of Europe’s most fearsome, rounded attacking players over the last year.
His pace, intelligent movement and finishing ability should make him a natural fit for Pep Guardiola’s City – and an immediate upgrade on the likes of Jérémy Doku and Jack Grealish – with Marmoush showcasing some of his qualities during a bright debut against Chelsea on Sunday.
On several occasions he was deemed to have been offside when played through on goal, but his early interplay and understanding with Erling Haaland and, particularly, Phil Foden, bode well as City look to bounce back from their miserable run of form in recent months.
Guardiola’s greatest sides have boasted incisive, penetrative, goalscoring widemen – think the likes of Pedro and Riyad Mahrez – and Marmoush should be the latest in a long, long line of talented attackers to thrive under the Spaniard.
At just 25, he will replace Mohamed Salah as the Premier League‘s preeminent Egyptian player, and should prove to be one of the first new building blocks in Guardiola’s latest City rebuild. (ESPN)