Did Manchester City Miss A Crucial Opportunity By Not Securing This Maverick Player: A Bad Decision By Them? | OneFootball

Florian Wirtz was one step away from wearing the Manchester City shirt. Talks were progressing, the figures were right, and the player was keen to join the heavyweights of the Premier League. However, one detail weighed more heavily than anything else: the lack of clarity about Pep Guardiola’s future.

Wirtz valued the security of working with a coach like the Catalan more than any financial promise. With doubts about Guardiola’s future beyond the summer of 2025, the young German changed course. His final destination was Liverpool, the newly crowned English champions under Arne Slot.

Did Manchester City Miss A Crucial Opportunity By Not Securing Florian Wirtz Due To Uncertainty Over Pep Guardiola’s Future?

According to Fichajes, the agreement between the Reds and Bayer Leverkusen reached £116.5 million, breaking records in the British market. It includes a fixed fee of £100 million plus £16.5 million in variables. Faced with Wirtz’s refusal, City changed course.

They are now betting on Rayan Aït-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki. Talented players, yes, but with different profiles from the German attacking midfielder. The club’s sporting management stood firm, but without a technical figure secured for the future, they lost one of the most coveted players on the continent.

LEIPZIG, GERMANY – JANUARY 22: Viktor Gyökeres of Sporting Lisbon in action during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD7 match between RB Leipzig and Sporting Clube de Portugal at Leipzig Stadium on January 22, 2025 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Manchester City missed a great opportunity. The 22-year-old represents more than just talent: vision, maturity and clarity with the ball. His decision prioritised the project over the badge, and that speaks volumes about the type of player he is. The Etihad club had everything in their favour except the certainty of continuity on the bench.

Guardiola did not confirm whether he would stay, and that hesitation proved costly. The German chose the order and security of a coach with a clear idea like Slot. And City’s reinforcements? Interesting, but they are not Wirtz.

Aït-Nouri will depth on the left, Reijnders will be dynamic in midfield, and Cherki is unpredictable, albeit inconsistent. None of them seem ready to lead a change of cycle as Florian could. City need to decide soon what will happen with Pep. They cannot continue to lose key signings due to doubts about the technical project. If Guardiola plans to leave, they must prepare for the transition now. If he stays, they must secure him. The market waits for no one, and talents like Wirtz do not hesitate twice. This time they lost him, next time it could cost them even more.