Football can be a cruel game.
I expect at least 90% of the players in the football pyramid have an ambition to play for either Liverpool or Manchester United. So essentially every move they make is really a "stepping stone", its only really those two clubs who are not seen as a stepping stone. I think even the likes of Chelsea and Man City would lose players to yourselves but for some reason you let those clubs off and never go for their players, its as if the big 6 have a gentleman's agreement to leave each other alone.
Even if you were relegated there would I expect be some players even willing to drop a division to play for you and Liverpool. This keeps both teams at a massive advantage over competitors, so e.g. even if Manchester United, had no interest in playing Maddison, they could unsettle him just by making an interest known simply to sabotage our season. It is football.
The extra money in the game has allowed clubs to resist this somewhat, whether the money is from TV rights or billionaire sugar daddies. But end of the day if a player's head is turned its often terminal.
I think Maguire's head was turned last summer, an agreement was made we would keep him for one extra season, but he missed a "lot" of games and when he played he wasn't at his best, seemingly in preparation for his move.
Zaha at Palace is playing well below par, head turned.
Mahrez had his head turned I think at least twice, we recovered the first one, but when Man City came in for him that January it was terminal, we only got him playing again by agreeing the move would be actioned in the summer. Would he have stayed if we paid him 500k a week? don't know, but that would be a problem in itself as wage structure would be totally destroyed. It would either destroy squad morale or we give everyone a rise and fail FFP.
If Maddison signs a new deal this summer then it probably means he is gone the next, the new contract only serving to maximise the transfer fee. Like Maguire signed one the summer before he left.
For a club like ourselves the dominoes kind of need to fall in place all at once, because once you start playing well, the players will get poached or at least have their heads turned. Whilst the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool only really need to worry about the two Spanish giants.
Personally I think players need to show a "bit" more loyalty, I think they should be giving at least 3 years to their club before moving on, Kante only gave us 1 year, Maguire only 2. This year is Maddison's 2nd, will we get a 3rd? Clubs like Manchester should show a bit more respect as well, going in for players that have only been at a club for a year or two does seem rude, but of course we have probably been guilty of that ourselves on clubs lower than us in the pyramid.
This summer our new training complex will be ready and it will be one of the best in Europe, that should help us get and retain players moving forward. But it wont completely overcome the lure of stature.