Stoke are exploring the possibility of sacking Saido Berahino amid the fallout from his drink-driving case.
The club have decided to weigh up the drastic action after being deeply angered by his latest indiscretion.
Industry experts think such a decision would be difficult to enact but Stoke want to find out if Berahino's behaviour counts as gross misconduct.
The striker's contract runs until 2022, which equates to more than £6million in total, and there is a belief the club would not get close to that figure in a transfer fee, so making him a free agent would represent business sense.
Senior members of the club are aware of Sunderland's response last year to Darron Gibson's charge for drink-driving, when the midfielder's contract was ripped up.
Stoke temporarily suspended Berahino on Tuesday after his arrest at 3am on Monday morning in Bloomsbury, a short distance from VQ restaurant where the 25-year-old had been dining. Berahino said he was taking evasive action from a group who had attacked him.
He has been charged with being drunk in control of a motor vehicle an is due to appear before Highbury Corner Magistrates on Wednesday March 6.
Berahino has now been re-instated by Stoke but is training alone at the club's Clayton Wood complex.
Stoke are especially angry with him over the incident because, as revealed by Sportsmail, he had called in sick to miss training before last Saturday's game at Ipswich and was due to play for the Under-23s against Manchester United on Monday night.
Nathan Jones has taken a very dim view on this latest incident, with Berahino previously late for team meetings and training, and is set to send him out of Stoke's first-team squad for the rest of the season.
There are those close to Berahino who believe he is in need of pastoral care.