"Financial Fair Play is a new dynamic in my job, and player trading is a key part. You really can't hit it and come under it, if you don't trade. We're sort of forced to trade a player this window.

"Maxi looks like the player who's generating the interest. If he does leave, we'd lose him with a very heavy heart because he's someone we love working with.

"I don't think he necessarily wants to leave. He's probably in a very similar position to the one the club is in - he may feel it's the right time for him to move.

"It's very difficult for me to speak for him, but he hasn't asked to leave. There's been no issue between any of us coaches, the club and Maxi - we all love him - but it's just the reality of how football is nowadays: you have to trade.

"If the deal didn't go through, I'd be delighted. It would obviously impact our ability to bring any more players in, and then we potentially might have to sell another player. That's the way that Financial Fair Play has hit us."