Ademola Lookman and Omar Marmoush are ‘perfect’ January signings for Arsenal

By Monsurah Olatunji

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has singled out Ademola Lookman and Omar Marmoush as “perfect” potential signings for the Gunners in the January transfer window.

The 27-year-old Nigerian international, recently crowned African Player of the Year, has been in exceptional form this season.

With nine goals and four assists in 14 Serie A appearances, Lookman has helped Atalanta reach the top of the Italian league for the first time in their 116-year history. His performance has caught the attention of many, including Wright, who praised his impressive rise.

On the Wrighty’s House podcast, Wright was asked about potential signings to bolster Arsenal’s squad, currently third in the Premier League, six points behind leaders Liverpool.

While manager Mikel Arteta has tempered expectations of significant January activity, stating, “I never expect January to be super busy,” Wright believes the Gunners could strengthen their squad with targeted signings.

“There are two players I would probably go for here,” Wright said. “I’d like people to have a look at Omar Marmoush at Eintracht Frankfurt and Ademola Lookman at Atalanta. African Player of the Year, congratulations! He looked amazing. I saw a little documentary on him and it was so uplifting, his journey.”

Wright continued to praise both players, highlighting their qualities: “Marmoush assists, he takes corners, and he has really good pace. Lookman is doing really well too, and the way Arsenal plays, both of them would be perfect.”

He added, “Yeah, but the thing is, that’s like a real wish,” when discussing the possibility of Arsenal signing the two players.

Lookman’s market value has nearly doubled, rising from €30m to €55m following an outstanding year, and his form continues to make him an attractive option for top clubs, including Arsenal.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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