Collingwood premiership defender Heritier Lumumba is on the verge of leaving the AFL club.
The manager of the 27-year-old, who has played 199 games for the Magpies, has confirmed that Lumumba and the club are considering their options.
It comes after a reported incident where Lumumba wanted the Magpies to act over a graffitied comment on a club noticeboard late this season.
Lumumba apparently took the comment to be homophobic and brought up the matter with coach Nathan Buckley.
Fairfax Media have reported that when Lumumba said he might resign, he was told it might not be a bad idea.
Lumumba then is said to have withdrawn his comment, but remained unhappy about the graffiti incident.
There have since reportedly been a series of meetings between Lumumba and club officials.
He also had several weeks away from Collingwood last season because of personal issues.
"Heritier and the club have had some issues and yes a bit of history there and now it is coming to the point where he is contracted for next year but both parties will decide whether it is best for Heretier to be there next year," Lumumba's manager Ben Niall said in a statement.
"Both parties are going to spend some time thinking about what they do from here.
"Do they both decide they can work through this or is it time to go their own way and maybe he has to move to a new club?
"Heritier loves Collingwood and respects Nathan Buckley and he acknowledges that the way he expresses himself at times can be problematic and he needs to modify how he expresses himself going forward whether that is at Collingwood or at another club."
Collingwood's season ended last weekend and there were rumours at the start of this week that a senior player had walked out.
Lumumba's friend and teammate Dane Swan told Channel Nine's Footy Show on Thursday night that he hoped the matter could be sorted out.
"Of course I want him to stay - he's one of my good mates at the footy club," Swan said.
"He does love the footy club probably more than anyone at Collingwood at the minute.
"He maybe goes about things every now and again the wrong way in some people's minds - I think it's great - but all he wants to do is see the footy club succeed.
"He has very passionate views (and) we all know how passionate he is about different things.
"He certainly doesn't let anyone get in his way when he has something to say."
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