With his current contract set to expire this summer, AC Milan captain Riccardo Montolivo will reportedly be handed a new deal by the club. The extension is understood to be for three years, with representatives from each party meeting several weeks ago to reach the agreement.
Although nothing is certain until an official announcement is made, which is likely to come at the end of the season, as is tradition with the Rossoneri, it begs the question: Is the club making a mistake by renewing Montolivo's deal?
The 31-year-old has been heavily criticised throughout this season, and has been the target of supporters' frustration and anger with the overall performances by the team. Montolivo's influence is difficult to analyse, as while he may well disappoint when he does feature in the starting line-up, his absence often proves his importance to the side and why coaches continue to rely heavily on him.
It would be disrespectful to entirely dismiss the Italy international, as his experience at the top level, ability on the ball and tireless work ethic make him an important figure in the dressing room, particularly through difficult times.
However, since his arrival at the San Siro in 2012, has he done enough to live up to expectations and earn the continued honour of captaining Milan? Many will argue that he hasn't, and ultimately there comes a point when enough is enough and Milan have to consider making a change.
Montolivo's play has become slow, predictable and strewn with errors in recent weeks, and that has coincided with the Rossoneri's dip in form, which has seen them pick up just one win in their last nine Serie A games.
Given his role at the heart of the team, much more is expected from the captain in terms of dominating a game, driving Milan forward from an offensive perspective and providing defensive coverage to win the midfield battle. He has ultimately failed to do that on a regular basis, and whether Milan want to admit it or not, they have to make big decisions and changes, such as dropping Montolivo in order to make progress.
The Rossoneri have been trying to use the same formula for several years now, and here they are sitting seventh in the Serie A table and risking missing out on European football again. From when the struggles started around three years ago, Montolivo, albeit with changing faces around him including the likes of Nigel de Jong and Andrea Bertolacci, has been an ever-present.
That makes him an important figure for Milan in terms of taking up the mantle as the veteran in the squad, but that isn't enough to warrant him being handed the keys to the Milan midfield and stalling every other week.
With promising youngster Manuel Locatelli waiting in the wings, Milan don't even need to look to the transfer market to replace the under-fire captain. In turn, the contract extension could make sense, but it depends on what role Montolivo is given moving forward.
Much can change with new ownership potentially coming in at the end of the season, while Cristian Brocchi hasn't done anything to suggest that his tenure as coach will last beyond this campaign. As a result, Montolivo may find himself on the periphery or even heading for the exit door if certain individuals have different plans, but for the time being it appears as though he still has the backing of the club.
If the new deal is aimed at keeping an experienced international midfielder in the dressing room and using him as a mentor and as a squad player alongside younger players, then Milan are making the right decision. However, if this new contract is with a view of keeping Montolivo as a central figure in the side, then Milan are just making the same mistakes over and over again.
Montolivo can't be solely blamed for their struggles in recent times, but he's been involved in that time period and hasn't done enough to change the storyline. In turn, there comes a point where the hierarchy has to accept that they can't move forward with the same old pieces in place, and that is essentially the reality in this case.