I agree we are soft in that regard but the argument on the other side and the one the club has actively taken is that considering a club of our stature and pedigree that if you wish to no longer play here then we don't want or need you here any longer. At least they are consistent on both fronts: players here already or ones we want to buy. Moral is: if you don't want us then we don't want you.
This ask to leave policy is justified but only to a certain extent because you're making a bad example of what the reputation of a big club should be if you're letting go of your best players every year. It kills me when I see clubs like Pool and Everton fight hard to keep their stars and it's not like the performances of those players drop off either. Suárez asked to leave Pool and in the very same season becomes the best player in the league. Pirlo asked to leave Milan in 2006 but Milan kept him and he went on to win CL.
Sometimes it's not necessary that you have to sway to players' wishes imo.
