Barcelona are eyeing Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush as they look to bring in a new striker this summer.

Sport says Barcelona have already nailed down their main targets for next season, and a new No. 9 tops the list. The problem? The market’s thin, prices are crazy, and the big names cost a fortune.

Julián Alvarez is the dream signing, but Atlético Madrid wants about €150m (£130m). That’s way out of reach. So, Barca are already weighing other options, and Marmoush is high on their list of names they like.

Here’s why Marmoush’s situation at City makes things interesting. City bought him from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2025 for €75m (£65m). Pep Guardiola had tracked him for a while; Marmoush was tearing it up in the Bundesliga, and even then, Barcelona’s scouts were watching him too. They think he’d fit right into Hansi Flick’s style, with his speed and link-up play.

But things haven’t clicked for him at City. Erling Haaland is locked in as the main striker, so Marmoush has mostly been on the bench or pushed out wide. He’s shown flashes when he’s come on, but the minutes just haven’t been there. Missing a month for the Africa Cup of Nations didn’t help either, so his stats look pretty average.

Rumours about a possible exit started back in January. Marmoush wants more game time and a bigger role, something Barcelona can offer. Still, they’re not the only ones watching. Tottenham, Aston Villa, and Galatasaray are all interested, which makes his future even more up in the air.

So, is Marmoush’s time at City almost up? Barcelona are in a good spot if Marmoush decides to leave this summer. He’s not their top choice, but if the Alvarez deal falls apart, they could pivot fast.

For City, it all comes down to price. Marmoush cost them €75m (£65m) not long ago, but reports say he could go for less if Guardiola gives the green light. Selling him at a discount would be a big statement; it would basically say he’s not in their plans behind Haaland.

Right now, there’s no official offer. Barcelona are keeping a close eye on things, and a lot depends on whether Marmoush asks for a move after the season wraps up. If he does, City will have to fend off competition from England and Turkey to get the deal done.

That was a nail-biter. Nico O’Reilly grabbed both goals, and thanks to him, City pulled off a win that’s really going to put the heat on Arsenal in the title race.

Now, Pep Guardiola’s crew have racked up 17 straight Premier League wins, this time against Newcastle, and they’re just two points behind the Gunners. Next up for Arsenal? The North London derby. No pressure.

O’Reilly, only 20 and already the city's most reliable force this season, stepped up right when his team needed something special. Nights like this could end up deciding the whole season.

Honestly, Newcastle gave them everything. They haven’t beaten City in the league since Alan Shearer’s winner back at Maine Road in 2000, but they’ve never played better at the Etihad. Eddie Howe’s squad just got back from a 10,000-mile trek to Azerbaijan, smashed Qarabag 6-1, and pretty much punched their ticket to the Champions League last 16. Even after that, they pushed City right to the edge.

If Mikel Arteta and his players watched from their hotel, that must’ve felt brutal. When the final whistle blew, the roar of relief said it all.

These two sides have already met three times this season, and they’ll go again next month in the FA Cup at St James’ Park. Newcastle beat City 2-1 on Tyneside in November, but City took both legs in the Carabao Cup semis, 5-1 on aggregate, to set up a Wembley rematch.

Omar Marmoush came in hot, having scored five in his last two against Newcastle. He almost added another in the opening minute, but Malick Thiaw cut out the danger just in time.

Howe told his guys to press City high, which left Dan Burn one-on-one with Erling Haaland. That didn’t last. Burn ended up in the book after just nine minutes for dragging Haaland down.

City drew first blood in the 14th minute. Marmoush pounced on a loose ball near the halfway line, muscled past Kieran Trippier, and slipped it to O’Reilly. One touch, quick left-footed strike to the bottom corner, even though Nick Pope got a hand to it.

Newcastle hit back fast. Anthony Gordon went on a charge, outran Marc Guehi, then forced a save out of Gianluigi Donnarumma. They levelled it in the 22nd minute after City couldn’t clear a corner. Lewis Hall took a shot, and it took a wicked deflection off Rayan Ait-Nouri to beat Donnarumma.

City didn’t let the tie last long. Five minutes later, Antoine Semenyo set up Haaland, who swung in a perfect far-post cross. O’Reilly soared above everyone and nodded it past Pope.

Newcastle still looked dangerous on the break. Gordon’s pace through the middle kept City honest, with Elanga and Ramsey giving them real options out wide.

Ruben Dias got booked for clipping Gordon and then seemed to pull something, so Abdukodir Khusanov came on after halftime.

City had their moments, too. Marmoush fired one just wide from a distance, then forced a save from Pope after a quick Rodri-led counter.

After halftime, Newcastle took control for a bit. Guardiola swapped Marmoush for Rayan Cherki just before the hour, trying to steady things. Semenyo got a golden chance when Cherki found him, but his shot was tame.

At one point, the crowd gave Haaland a standing ovation for heading clear in defence. That tells you how tense it got.

Newcastle kept pushing but just couldn’t break through. At the other end, Ait-Nouri hesitated with a golden chance, caught between shooting and passing to Haaland.

Haaland had one more chance to finish it off, but missed. Harvey Barnes forced Donnarumma into one last save, but that was it. City held on.