Why Instagram posts mean Kenedy's Chelsea career could be over

With a pair of quickly-deleted Instagram posts, the hopes heaped on another young Chelsea star's embryonic career all but evaporated this weekend.

Firstly the case for Kenedy's defence: there isn't any real argument about whether Kenedy's posts were racist – as they simply weren't. This wasn't the blatant racially aggravated offensiveness of Ezequiel Lavezzi in China, or the Brazilian Ronaldo in South Korea – pulling faces to mock the locals.

But there is no need to apply that inflammatory tag to the player in order to see that he has crossed a line - and that he really doesn't have the reputation or potential to solidly recover from this at Chelsea.

What those social media posts undoubtedly were was stupid, juvenile and disrespectful to the people of a country who only rarely offer the sort of adulation and even adoration as has been afforded Chelsea during their trip to Beijing.

In a society where honour and respect could not be of greater value, profane messages about being allowed to play in front of tens of thousands of Chinese citizens paying top dollar, and a pic mocking an exhausted worker sleeping on the job, appeared spoilt and embarrassing.

Chelsea's quick, shame-faced apology for their employee – in English and Cantonese – will have hurt, make no mistake about that. But it was 100% the right thing to do. China is the world's biggest untapped marketplace for football, and the Blues' romp there over Arsenal would, in other circumstances, have created an incredible buzz around the team.

What they did not need was for a young player's presence in the Bird's Nest stadium to be jeered by people who believed their national identity had been insulted by him. Whatever the player's worth, there is a good chance he has just cost his club as much, or more, in shirt sales alone.

This wasn't even about political correctness – just about how to not go about doing business in China.

There has long been a feeling that Kenedy has been drinking in the last chance saloon with Chelsea. His loan to Watford last season broke down: officially because of injury, though there were whispers about his lack of application while at Vicarage Road. There have been reprimands in the past for training ground misdemeanours and late nights out. None of this is a smoking gun, but cumulatively it shows a lack of the sort of dedication expected of a player paid tens of thousands of pounds a week to deliver the absolute height of professionalism.

The arguments that Alan Hudson or George Best would put young Kenedy's antics to shame just don't rub: the game is different now and, and be it desirable in your view or otherwise, every player is a representative for a global brand these days. They are also expected to live the life that enhances their talents and, possibly most damaging for his potential Chelsea career, there have been few signs of Kenedy delivering on his early promise.

There is evidence in the past of Chelsea letting ability impact upon disciplinary matters. Compare the slap on the wrist Ashley Cole received in that unfortunate incident with the air gun, and the sacking doled out to a trainee who let off a smoke grenade in training.

The question will surely be asked, at a high level, whether Kenedy is worth the bother. And it is difficult to see many at Chelsea rushing to his defence. A loan now looks likely. But a rushed transfer before the window closes surely cannot be ruled out.

Either way, it seems unlikely any deal will be taking Kenedy to China in the foreseeable future.