I’ve held back from commenting during the peak of the Florian Wirtz Manchester City links, mostly because I understood where the club really stood behind the scenes. The reality was far less dramatic than the headlines made it seem.Now that the decision has been made and City have formally stepped away from the deal, it’s worth clarifying a few things, because the reaction online has been wildly disproportionate to what Florian Wirtz actually represented to this project we’ve got going. Yes, Florian Wirtz is a bright talented player. That’s not in question. But within key figures at Manchester City, there’s been growing internal skepticism about whether he’s the right type of talent for what’s being built post-Pep Guardiola. Nobody knows if he will stay longer than he’s agreed. So we’ve got to plan for after he leaves. We’ve always been a club that builds for the long term, not short term. Florian Wirtz is a brilliant technician, but we’re not spending a package totalling €300m on someone whose best work comes in low-stakes zones and doesn’t shift our structureWhat people outside the club often miss is that Manchester City’s next evolution isn’t about collecting names, it’s about specificity, sustainability, and character fit. Florian Wirtz didn’t tick enough of those boxes for the price we would’ve had to pay. Internally, there was concern about his physical profile in the Premier League, his off-ball intensity, and whether he’d adapt to Manchester City’s positional play without the kind of freedom he’s enjoyed under Alonso. It wasn’t a stylistic match, not really.That’s where Morgan Gibbs-White comes in, and why some of the noise around him this month hasn’t come from nowhere.Morgan Gibbs-White is seen not as a compromise, but as a more pragmatic, Premier League-proven alternative. Homegrown, press-resistant, fearless between the lines, and tactically coachable.Morgan Gibbs-White understands rhythm, he plays with urgency, and he doesn’t need 10 touches to make a decision.The differennce between the Premier League & the Bundesliga. From a squad-building standpoint, it makes more sense too. Lower fee overall, better versatility, and far more manageable expectations, especially for a role that will initially be rotational.And for those laughing at the idea: the same people who dismissed Kalvin Phillips as “smart depth” are now mocking a profile City’s data team have actually been tracking for two years.There’s no guarantee anything happens,but the shift away from Florian Wirtz wasn’t a loss. It was Manchester City acting with restraint. The smarter play isn’t always the shinier one.Bayern can buy him for a ridiculous fee, if anything it shows that Wirtz has no ambition to play at the top level & wants his career easy. I’d prefer to have a passionate Smith-Rowe on my team over someone like that. Morgan Gibbs-White will be the shining light of this Manchester City team, You’ll all see soon.