of this age as worth investing around 40 million pounds in, to walk away for an extra 5 million over the course of a 5 year contract is absurd. You would also have to have calculated he has huge sell on value which you are also passing up.

Either they don't really back their judgement (which is possible and worrying), or another 5 mill blows the transfer budget, which doesn't augur well for the remainder of the window.
Or - this is us trying to "win the deal" again as NeilW mentioned the other day.

You've already identified him as an outsanding prospect.

This is in no way comparable to some of the crap we have signed over the last 5 years.

Also - I suspect Moyes will be mightily fucked off.