Gennaro Gattuso has sent a clear warning to Napoli winger Hirving Lozano after the reported Everton and Newcastle United was sent home from training on Tuesday, speaking to RAI Sport.
It’s fair to say a dismal debut season is getting worse by the day for the Mexico international.
The £34 million signing of Lozano from PSV Eindhoven felt like a real coup last summer but, almost 12 months on, Napoli must be counting down the days until they can get rid of one of the most expensive flops of the current campaign.
Lozano has started just eight Serie A games all season.
And any hopes he had of featuring in Wednesday’s Coppa Italia final against Juventus have gone up in smoke.
ESPN report that he was thrown out of the pre-match training session after infuriating the always combustible Gattuso with his attitude.
“Anyone who is tired, who doesn’t feel like it, who isn’t sharp mentally, as far as I am concerned, he can just stay in the locker room and miss a day of training,” the World Cup winner said later in the afternoon, four months after he sent Brazil midfielder Allan packing for very similar reasons.
“Everyone knows that if they step onto the field with me, they have to go at full speed. I won’t allow anyone to ruin a training session.”
It remains to be seen, however, whether this latest blow should be seen as a positive or a warning to the Everton, who have been tipped to snap up a player who Carlo Ancelotti brought to Naples a year ago (France Football in April).
West Ham were tipped to make a £25 million bid by AreaNapoli in May, while Newcastle apparently held talks with Lozano’s agent, Mino Raiola (AreaNapoli).
Napoli surely won’t stand in the forward’s way if he is given the chance to leave. But any hints of an attitude problem could have the alarm bells ringing and the red flags waving.
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