Take that as guarenteed...and already been said by our CEO. That NEVER works, and is the last resort of the desperate. If it happens you've lost him. Because either he's happy to stay - in which case there's no need anyway - or he wants to consider his options, in which case it will only make him resentful, and he'll end up going anyway. There may be messy legal/financial entanglements, but it won't stop a want-away employee.
It saw off Burnley last time we had all this, but in general you're right, it will force the issue one way or not.