They don't have to be. The player hasn't signed anything - neither have we; there's no contract to be broken - the player has declined to enter into one. The player can always make a few quid selling his denial to one of the Sundays.
I appreciate the club has to be discreet when negotiating, keeping things under wraps until the deal is signed sealed and delivered and all that. It's frustrating, but I understand the need.
However, there maybe one area where they could be more open about transfer dealings - they could be...