I know, the loan part is disheartening, which is why you've pinpointed it with this .gif.
That said, as others have said before me, it's his wages. Neither of those clubs could even dream about coming close to what we give him. Try before you buy is our only hope.
..I think we’d let him go on a free as he could negotiate a lucrative signing fee to compensate the loss of wage. Even then, we might have to give him a golden handshake.