What you have basically just said is that the CL puts on us on a par with the likes of Real, Barca, Bayern etc. That we become an attractive option as those clubs when reality states otherwise. You only have to look at Liverpool who were unable to retain the likes of Alonso, Mascherano, Suarez and Coutinho despite having CL football as testament to how false this belief is.
Where was the mass exodus when we previously failed to secure CL football? It didn’t happen and it won’t simply because there are only a handful of clubs that can sign our players and they will do so whether we are in the CL or not. Do you honestly think Real would be deterred by us being in the CL, it is pure fantasy to believe that. What this club needs more than anything is win something because it’s not a question of if this team will break up it is when.
As I said before the significance of the CL is being massively overstated. Qualification is simply not enough you have to actually be successful in this to generate revenue. We made £41 million last time, that doesn’t even afford Moussa Sissoko in today’s market ( fee and wages) so the notion that it will enable us to retain our best players is severely misguided.