Manchester City new boy Omar Marmoush has revealed that he was a boyhood fan of the club's all-time top scorer Sergio Aguero.
Egyptian forward Marmoush completed his €70 million switch from Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt to reigning Premier League champions City on Thursday.
His 24 goal contributions for Frankfurt this season is bettered only by countryman Mohamed Salah at City's rivals Liverpool among Europe's top five leagues.
Argentine attacker Aguero scored 260 goals in 390 games when he starred for City between 2011 and 2021, helping the club win their first top-flight crown in more than 40 years in his first season.
Aguero famously scored the match-winning goal deep in injury time against Queens Park Rangers that snatched the title of the hands of rivals and neighbours Manchester United.
A statue of Aguero stands outside the Etihad Stadium marking the moment of celebration, with the player twirling his shirt above his head, that will never be forgotten by City fans.
Marmoush, 25, became City's third signing of the January transfer window after the defensive duo Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis from French club Lens and Brazilian outfit Palmeiras, respectively.
And when he was asked after his unveiling on Thursday about whether there were any City players past or present he admired, Marmoush was quick to name the striker who is fifth on the Premier League's all-time top-scorers list with 184 goals.
“Ever since I was young, I used to watch Sergio Aguero, because he had a playing style similar to mine,” he said.
“He wasn’t a big striker but he always moved into spaces and when the ball reached his feet, he was dangerous. So Aguero, of course.”
Marmoush – who has scored six goals in 35 games for Egypt since making his debut in 2021 – becomes the first from his country to play for the club.
“It’s an honour for me to raise my country’s name here in the English league,” he added.
“This is just the beginning, and it will be a successful start. I can’t wait to be on the field and show everyone what I can do. Over the coming days, we’ll work hard to prove that and make it happen.
“I’m honoured to be here, and I’m very happy to be here. God willing, this will be a successful start. In the coming period, I hope it will be great for me, the club, and the fans.
“We’ll hope to achieve many championships and victories.”
Marmoush could make his debut at the weekend when City play host to Chelsea in the Premier League.
Last week saw Pep Guardiola's side thrash Ipswich Town 6-0 – with Phil Foden scoring two and setting up another – which lifted City up to fifth in the table, two points behind Saturday's opponents who are fourth.
But City suffered a big Champions League blow on Wednesday when they lost 4-2 at Paris Saint-Germain, despite taking a two-goal lead in the French capital.
The defeat left them outside the top 24 in the table and needing to beat Club Brugge – one of the teams above them they can still catch – next week to reach the play-off round.
City will be hoping their new signing from Frankfurt can give them a much-needed boost.
“Omar is an accomplished and exciting forward, and I’m delighted he’s joining us,” director of football Txiki Begiristain said.
“He’s had an outstanding season, and every time we have watched him, he has influenced matches.
“He has all the attributes a top-class attacker requires. He has outstanding pace and awareness and he is exceptional in front of goal. He can also play a number of different positions, which is a really valuable asset.”
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Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
