Really? I think you've massively cocked it up. You should have tied up his contract when you were riding high and in the season after you sold your biggest star. After that you make these thinly veiled, passive aggressive comments in the press to try and pressure him into signing, and he doesn't want to budge. So rather than either accepting than he wants more money or letting him go for a decent fee, you get involved in a very public spat and considerably weaken your position. Then, to top it all off, you refuse City's offer and ask for some absurd fee instead, completely misreading the balance of power. It's City, not you, who have the leverage in this situation. Why on Earth are they going to meet your valuation when you'd be stuck with a divisive voice in the dressing room who will be unpopular with fans and won't want to give his all? By deterring interest in him so ferociously you've even ensured that there's no one bidding against them to raise the price.
A masterclass in how not to handle deal with young talent really.
