Porto scenes between De Bruyne and Lucca could lead to departures

The 4-1 defeat in Porto did not end with the scoreline. The scenes between Kevin De Bruyne and Lorenzo Lucca in Porto have become the latest problem in an already difficult week.

It is the worst possible moment for a split in the squad. Napoli are eighth in the league with 14 points from 10 games. That leaves them 9 points off fourth place, the target Allegri set himself. They have lost their last two games: 2-0 at the Allianz Stadium in Turin and 4-1 at the Dragão.

Next up is Lazio, top of the table with twice Napoli's points, at the Maradona on Sunday 8 November at 12:30 CET (11:30 UK, 06:30 ET). From the evening of Friday 6 November the squad goes into a ritiro at Pozzuoli on the president's orders. A ritiro is a closed training camp where the players are kept together.

Two players already in fragile positions

These are not two random players. De Bruyne was Player of the Month for September and his contract runs out in June 2027. He twisted his ankle in Turin and will miss the Lazio game.

Lucca has not scored this season. In Porto he came on late for Politano, with the game already lost, and a loan remains the most likely outcome in January.

On that basis, a sale is the easiest answer for everyone. That is exactly why it deserves suspicion. It risks looking like a stand on principle when it may just be the path of least resistance.

Until the window reopens on 2 January, Napoli cannot sign anyone who is not a free agent. Whatever happens, this squad stays as it is for two months. If the dressing room has cracked, the fix has to come on the pitch and on the training ground, not through sales. Managing the group is the coach's job, and Allegri is answerable for it.

Anguissa and McTominay

Then there is Anguissa. His contract expires in June and a free transfer in the summer looks more likely by the day. Napoli need to settle it now. The fear of losing a starter for nothing is not new here, and it is up to whoever builds the squad to stop it happening again.

The most worrying news, though, concerns Scott McTominay. The Scot is attached to Napoli, and between September and October a renewal was close. Now he and his representatives want to know what future the club has and how it plans to get out of this situation.

He is under contract until 2028. In Porto he scored Napoli's only goal, his 32nd in 89 appearances. That is the warning sign. When the player who always scores starts asking for guarantees, the crisis is no longer only about results.

Plenty of supporters are asking the same thing. Napoli faded in the second half in Turin and in Porto, and the players are now falling out. Can three days at a training camp really pull them back together?

The first answer comes on Sunday against the league leaders. If it does not come, changing a few names in January will not be enough.