You got to judge a policy for its whole effects.
With Athletic transfer policy the club got 40.000.000 euros for Javi Martinez while Bayern and Martinez himself were pressing for a 20.000.000 agreement
Athletic got 40.000.000 for a 15.000.000 (at most) player.
Exactly why it's important for Athletic to not make exceptions, in this case Llorente.
It's working great for your team, why change it?
And I don't really understand people who think Llorente is treated like a slave, one would think he became the player he is now by himself and made to sign the contract at gunpoint.
If there's any team in the world that lets players go, it's Athletic, every player has his buyout clause, you just gotta pay.