IMO.
Bony has clearly stated that he wants to play for a Champions League club and his agent is paid to assist him getting there.
I would put money on it that his agent was touting him to Liverpool, probably tried to push him towards Arsenal, Spurs and Everton too (before they signed Lukaku)....that's his job.
It's Bony's job to keep doing the business and keep schtum in the meantime, which he is doing and will do for the forseeable I imagine.
This time nobody wanted to pay the £24m...for whatever reason, don't understand it myself as his record and performances speak for themselves (the little paranoid Welshman in me wonders whether the big clubs simply object paying that money to us...thinking us to be a small backwater club who should just roll over for them).
Bony would be outstanding for a CL team imo.
Maybe we can move to extend his contract with better terms and a larger release clause now (would be best for us) but I doubt it because he wants to move on up IMO.