The attacking midfielder, Riccardo Montolivo who can also play as a deep-lying playmaker, has been the only shining light in what has been a dreadful season for AC Milan. The Rossoneri are currently in tenth position in Serie A, a massive 34 points behind leaders Juventus.

Arsene Wenger has been criticised for failing to strengthen his squad in January but he is already beefing up his options for next season. According to the Express, Arsenal are one of three clubs to make contact with Montolivo’s agent in order to understand his situation at the San Siro.

The agent said, “Milan have had a difficult season so far and I think I can say that Riccardo Montolivo has been one of the brightest notes. He became a fixture of the Rossoneri and was even given the captain’s armband as proof.”

“He is very happy with the club to which he belongs, and the club and fans are very satisfied with him. An extension? He has a contract until June 2016, so it is not a priority to talk about an extension at this time. That’s a discussion we’ll have, I think, next year.”

He added, “Has there been interest from other clubs? There have been tentative enquiries from Atletico Madrid, [Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen] Klopp and Arsenal, to name a few.”