Feels to me like Gerard/Benitez cooked up the deal quickly to pay the £15m+ to Rangers and then we skipped a medical. As you say something must be up with his DNA/psyche to be so permanently off the field. For everyone's sake the lad needs a decent run at a lower level and then see how it goes.
There has always been something clearly “off” about this deal. A young player with only a handful of senior appearances was signed for what many felt was three times his true value, and over several seasons he has consistently shown that he lacks either the physical or mental attributes required to succeed at this level. Whatever
Moyes’ shortcomings, it’s hard to imagine him not doing more due diligence and steering clear of a deal like this had he been in charge at the time.
That said, we are where we are. If the aim is to give the lad a chance to salvage his career, the club needs to accept the loss on the transfer fee and significantly subsidise his wages to help him move to a level better suited to his abilities.
Amid all the mock outrage on this thread, what’s most striking is that he’s no longer being discussed as a footballer at all. The club should at least give him the opportunity to become one again.