Yeah I get the impression that this is pretty close to being finalised, if it isn’t already- you don’t have a player doing light jogging to avoid injury if you’re fighting tooth and nail to keep him. If they thought it was even going to drag on they’d be preparing him for their game on Saturday.
Like you say, might just be stalling for a bit to get ducks in a row for his replacement before it’s out there they have a big fee in their pocket.
Maybe also keep an eye out for a Chermiti or Armstrong loan chucked in, sort of thing where they can show off a shiny new player to the fans while actually being a win for both parties.