Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush is closing in on his Tottenham Hotspur debut. Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi has heaped praise on the striker and confirmed he is ready to face Newcastle, a game in which the London club hope to shake off a catastrophic start to the season.
Marmoush arrived on loan from Manchester City until the end of the season, with an option to make the move permanent. De Zerbi singled him out for special praise at Friday's press conference, backing him to hand the team fresh attacking solutions.
"He is an amazing player, we all love him at the club and we hope he shows his abilities with us, and he can provide more solutions in attack," the Italian said, adding that the squad needed a player with the Egyptian's qualities.
De Zerbi went on: "We need a player like him who is good at scoring and controlling the ball well, has pace and enormous qualities. We are very happy with his arrival, and also Savinho's, as they are of the highest level."
His likely first outing carries a personal edge. Marmoush terrorised Newcastle during his time at Manchester City, scoring 7 goals in 5 matches against them. Few opponents could offer a better stage to announce himself to the Tottenham faithful.
Spurs are crying out for that attacking spark. They opened their Premier League campaign with a 3-0 hammering at Brentford, a chastening result given the heavy spending the club sanctioned during the window.
Against that backdrop, De Zerbi is pinning plenty of hope on his new Egyptian recruit. Pace, an eye for goal and the runs to stretch defences: exactly what Tottenham need to get back on track.