When a player joins a club, the result can lead to two different outcomes: either they flourish and become an instant star for the club or they become a burden.
If they are a burden, they might react badly and go rogue and do things without permission. Others will disassociate themselves with their club as a sign of dissatisfaction.
The saga of Romelu Lukaku and his perceived injury rehab hasn't improved. In fact, it could be said it's gotten worse. Romelu Lukaku's disjointed season at Napoli looks to have reached breaking point after the striker's decision to defy the Serie A champions.
The ex-Manchester United striker has endured a nightmare campaign in Naples with much of his season lost due to the severe hamstring injury he suffered last summer.
Following the setback, Lukaku wrote in an Instagram story: "I really appreciate the support from you guys. S*** happens, and injuries are part of the game, but by the grace of God, I feel good, and I’m always positive-minded no matter what. See you soon."
Lukaku has struggled to keep that promise. After five months out, the 32-year-old - who also tragically lost his father last September - made his return in January but has played just 64 minutes of football since then.
Yet to start a game this season, the Belgium international finally made his return on January in a 3-0 loss to Juventus. The forward then scored an emotional winner against Verona in February; his first Serie A goal in eight months.
"These have been difficult months, personally," he said following that match. "Football has given me so much, but losing my father the way I did was tough to handle. But I keep going for my children, for my brother, and for Napoli. This club has given me a lot. I was dead before coming here."
After the game, Napoli manager, Antonio Conte - who also worked with the striker at Chelsea and Inter Milan - discussed the sympathy he and his players have for the Belgian after what he's been through and insisted he'll return to his previous form with time.
The Italian said: "Lukaku had such a serious injury, I know all too well how much he has suffered with this situation, as he wants to help Napoli and help me, for the rapport that we have. We are cuddling him and working hard, he is not yet the player that we know, but he’s getting there. This goal will give him confidence, the World Cup is coming up, I’d love for both him and Kevin De Bruyne to play in it."
Lukaku has since suffered hip inflammation that caused him to withdraw from international duty earlier this month and was expected to return to Italy for further assessment following his latest setback, but cracks began to appear in the relationship with Napoli after the striker opted to remain in his hometown of Antwerp to treat his injury.
The decision to go directly against his club's order could have dire consequences for Lukaku who faces being banished from Antonio Conte's for the rest of the season, according to La Repubblica.
The reigning league champions issued a firm statement regarding the striker's absence as they promised to, "consider appropriate disciplinary action, as well as to determine whether the player will continue to train with the squad for an indefinite period."
Amid his struggles this season, Lukaku took to social media to explain the personal and professional strain that has plagued his campaign, as he said: "This season has been a lot for me, from dealing with the injury and the personal loss. I know there has been a lot of noise about my situation in the last few days and it's important to clarify the whole situation.
"The truth is the last few weeks I wasn’t feeling right physically and I had it checked out while I was in Belgium and it showed me that there was an inflammation and liquid on my hip flexor muscle next to my scar tissue. It is the second problem I had since coming back early November."
"I chose to do the rehab in Belgium so I can help the team when called upon. There's nothing I would love more than to do than play and win with my team. But right now I have to make sure I am 100% because I haven't been recently and it took a toll mentally."
"It's been a lot this year. But in the end, I will get there and help Napoli and the national team to their respective objectives when called upon. That's all I want."
Expected to return to Naples next week, another report from the media outlet states that Lukaku is set to meet with Conte and sporting director, Giovanni Manna, for crunch talks.
Viewing Lukaku's refusal to come back to Italy as a breach of protocol, Manna had confirmed the forward will face "consequences" for disregarding club orders. Speaking before their 1-0 win over AC Milan last week, Manna said: "Romelu went to Belgium for international duty, had a slight setback with an injury and preferred to stay there to train, contrary to what we had asked.
"No one would have stopped him from working with his doctors, but we wanted to discuss it in Naples, and that didn't happen. We are unhappy about it. The integrity, respect, and value of the group are above all else.
"Talking about it now is superfluous, because Romelu is not here. He is working in Belgium. I think and hope he will return within a week. But he knows there will be consequences."
According to La Repubblica, the relationship between Lukaku and Napoli has reached a critical breaking point, with the forward's return to the club now delayed until 20 April but he faces being excluded from the squad altogether for the remainder of the campaign. The 32-year-old was expected to return to the club's Castel Volturno training base in the wake of the international break.
Amid a disastrous season plagued by a severe hamstring injury that limited him to just a handful of appearances, the striker opted to remain in Antwerp to treat a newly discovered hip inflammation. Napoli have taken a zero-tolerance approach to his unauthorised absence, releasing a firm statement promising they would "consider appropriate disciplinary action, as well as to determine whether the player will continue to train with the squad for an indefinite period."
Now pencilled in to return next week, another report by La Repubblica says he is expected to meet with coach Antonio Conte and sporting director Giovanni Manna on Tuesday to clarify the situation. However, the discussion may prove to be his last chance to save his Napoli career.
Despite the mounting tension, team-mates Matteo Politano and Leonardo Spinazzola have publicly defended him; highlighting the emotional toll of losing his father. However, manager Conte finds his loyalty tested. Conte pushed heavily for the €30 million signing from Chelsea in August 2024, yet with just one league goal in five appearances this term, the tactical disruption caused by his persistent absences has forced a rethink.
Consequently, a summer exit looms after this disastrous spell. It is increasingly difficult to envisage the player remaining in Naples beyond June. Napoli have to actively seek a buyer, aiming to offload his substantial wages and rebuild a unified squad free from off-pitch distractions.
Also Read: Gone AWOL
Speaking of Chelsea, Alejandro Garnacho has removed all references to Chelsea on his social media accounts.
The Argentina international has deleted all the Chelsea posts from his TikTok account, with the only four remaining videos dating from his time at their Premier League rivals.
Garnacho didn't stop there though, reposting a Manchester United fan paying tribute to him in a reflective video. The 21-year-old's actions come in the wake of a report suggesting tha Chelsea are looking to strengthen in his position this summer.
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea are still looking for a forward who can play off the left - which could prove ominous for Garnacho. Since signing for the Blues, Garnacho has gone on to make 38 appearances in all competitions, scoring eight goals and providing four assists.
The winger opened up about leaving United, admitting his exit 'hurt' after a series of clashes with the club - that he seemingly now regrets - before his move.
He fell out with then-head coach, Ruben Amorim, after going public with his frustration at only being brought on as a late substitute in United's dismal Europa League final defeat by Tottenham in May. His brother, Roberto, also stoked the fire by posting a message on social media criticising the head coach for throwing Garnacho 'under the bus'.
Daily Mail Sport reported in June that the winger was among five United players given permission to delay their return to training while they looked for new clubs. Garnacho is understood to have been told to move on by Amorim in front of his team-mates, and he eventually did that.
Before he left United, meanwhile, he posted a picture of himself wearing an Aston Villa shirt with the name of Marcus Rashford on - his former United team-mate who was also out of favour under Amorim.
His actions didn't go down well with fans but he has now spoken out on his departure and how he has no ill-feelings towards United after five years at the club.
When asked by Premier League Productions if he regretted how the move panned out, he said: "Maybe yes, because I loved that club. They gave me the confidence from the start, from Spain, to bring me to the academy, then they bring me to the first team, so it was like four or five years, and amazing love from everyone, from the fans, the stadium, everything was really good."
"It's just sometimes you have to change for the good of your life or the next steps. I only have good memories of Man United."
After a rocky start to life under Amorim, the Portuguese had praised Garnacho's work to earn a spot back in his team, despite there being no natural fit in his back-three system.
The natural winger slotted into a no. 10 role but things went south again and he fell down the pecking order again.
That, he has said, was a key reason as to why he left - admitting that he made some questionable moves when he was out of the team.
"I remember in the last six months I was just not playing like before at Manchester United," he said. "I started to be on the bench, it's not a bad thing, I was only 20 years old, but in my mind it was like I had to play every game."
"In my mind, maybe it is also on me, I started to do some bad things. But yes, it was just this moment in life and sometimes you have to make decisions and I am really proud to be here and still in the Premier League at a club like this."
"Everyone knows the team we have and the things we can do. Sometimes, we have better moments or worse moments, I am proud to be here but with United, I have nothing wrong to say about the club, no one in the club or the team-mates. It's just a moment in life that changes and life continues. I have no regrets."
Despite his admission of past mistakes, Garnacho emphasised that he remains professional regarding his current commitments at Stamford Bridge.
Detailing his current mindset and his commitment to the Blues' long-term project, he added: "But yes, it was just this moment in life and sometimes you have to make decisions and I am really proud to be here [at Chelsea] and still in the Premier League at a club like this. Everyone knows the team we have and the things we can do."
"Sometimes, we have better moments or worse moments, I am proud to be here but with United, I have nothing wrong to say about the club, no one in the club or the team-mates. It's just a moment in life that changes and life continues."
The signing of Garnacho, where Chelsea paid Manchester United a fixed fee of £40m for his signature, raised more than a few eyebrows. There were serious question marks over the 21-year-old's attitude and discipline but the Blues did their due diligence before pushing forward with the deal.
Background checks were made on Garnacho and he was deemed the right profile for then-manager, Enzo Maresca's squad. Maresca, Garnacho's head coach up until January, repeatedly spoke about the winger's need to improve his out-of-possession work - and towards the end of his debut season at Stamford Bridge, it has certainly improved.
It is not quite the level of, say, Pedro Neto, just yet and that is seemingly why the Portuguese winger is trusted more in the bigger games. Garnacho works a lot better off the ball nowadays. The thing that frustrates Chelsea supporters most with the former Man United wide man is his wastefulness in front of goal.
Garnacho has had ample opportunities to add to his eight goals this season but has lacked the killer instinct. That is something that can be worked on, for sure but it has slowed his progression this season.
With Garnacho, there is a player there - it is clear to see. Whether or not he is able to unleash his full potential at Chelsea is unclear at this moment in time, especially when the club are looking at wide options ahead of the summer transfer window.
If Alejandro Garnacho plays at any football stadium in the country, the likelihood is he will be booed.
There is a perception that the 21-year-old Chelsea winger has a bad attitude. The way he departed Manchester United and the build-up to that moment, painted a picture that Garnacho's attitude was not up to scratch. Not for an elite football club, anyway.
Ruben Amorim thought that. The former United boss stuck Garnacho in the 'bomb squad' and was prepared to let him rot. The hierarchy at Old Trafford took Amorim's side and sold Garnacho to Chelsea over seven months ago.
Garnacho is a flamboyant character; the bleach blonde hair, his body being covered in tattoos, his celebrations. That clearly, for whatever reason, rubs people up the wrong way. Underneath it all, though, is a young boy doing what he loves to do.
Since moving to Stamford Bridge last summer, Garnacho has had to learn how to take positives from a negative situation. The Blues winger has started on the bench a total of 17 times in all competitions this season but current boss, Liam Rosenior, has been impressed with how the former United youngster has handled himself.
Speaking last month, Rosenior said: "Garna is a top player. We have changed a little bit tactically since I came in. I have wanted to dominate midfield areas, which has meant at times I have only played with one winger.
"But Garna is an outstanding player. What I have really liked in this period is his reaction to not starting. He has been training very, very well. He has shown real positivity."
Garnacho is yet to win over the supporters. Chelsea's turbulent season hasn't helped that but Garnacho's inconsistency on the left wing has not done him any favours either.
Yet, eight goals and four assists in 38 appearances is not the worst return for the Argentine winger. His off-the-ball work isn't perfect but has improved enormously since making the switch to west London.
Jeers from opposition fans don't seem to affect Garnacho. Rosenior, when asked about this specific subject last month, believes it happens because supporters of the opposition see the Chelsea attacker as a threat.
"I don't understand," said a confused Rosenior. "Maybe because he can be such a threat. Playing for a club like Chelsea, that just comes with the territory. It comes for me as their coach, it comes for the players."
"You have to rise above that and not take notice of it. That's the best way for me. I don't think you use it as fuel. Your motivation should be there anyway to perform. All Garna needs to do is keep working really hard because his ability is not in question."
These two stories are quite similar in a mindset manner. I believe that these two believe that they are untouchable and hence believe that they can do whatever they please. This couldn't be further from the truth.
Every player is replaceable one way or another. It's not like the club will struggle without them. They both need a reality check. There's going to be a time when the fans; players and higher ups will start to get annoyed with the player and want that person to be excommunicated from the team.