Wolves want midfielder Joao Moutinho to stay at the club for another year, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Moutinho has been at Molineux for the past four years, but time is running out for him to commit his future to the team.

What's the latest news involving Moutinho?

Moutinho turns 36 in September, but he still featured in 35 league games for Wolves last term, starting 34 of them, to show how important he is for Bruno Lage's men in the middle of the park.

However, his contract at Wolves is due to expire at the end of June, and he is yet to agree an extension to his deal.

According to reports in Portugal, via the Express and Star, Roma are keeping an eye on Moutinho's situation, and could offer him a contract to move to Serie A.

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What has Jones said about Moutinho?

Wolves have been linked with Moutinho's fellow countryman Joao Palhinha, who could replace Ruben Neves, as reported by talkSPORT.

There is also the possibility that he could come in for Moutinho, but Jones has stated that Wolves will find it tough to bring in players who can replicate what Neves and Moutinho have done for the club, and he believes the Midlands outfit are very keen to keep Moutinho for another 12 months.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said: “It’s a really difficult one for Wolves to keep up this model that they’ve built and find players that continue to fit in it. You do wonder whether it’s even going to be possible.

“Obviously, they do not want Moutinho to go. They want one more year out of him, the contract’s been difficult to come to an agreement on.”

How important is it that Wolves keep hold of Moutinho?

Moutinho did show some signs of slowing down last term as he was only ranked Wolves' 12th-best player by WhoScored - they gave him an average match rating of 6.69.

Now in his mid-30s, it is fair to say that he cannot influence matches as regularly as he used to.

However, offloading him this summer would be a big mistake if Neves goes as well. Losing the duo would mean that Wolves would need a new midfield pairing, and they will struggle to find a superior one to Neves and Moutinho.

Morgan Gibbs-White is due to return from his impressive loan spell at Sheffield United, and he deserves a chance in the first-team next year, while signing a new midfielder seems sensible given the side's lack of options in that area.

Yet Moutinho has ample experience, having racked up 144 Premier League appearances, and he could pass his knowledge on to the younger players in the team.

Wolves need him around so that they can go through a smooth transition, with the £100,000-a-week midfielder still playing his part in their success, while also being rotated wisely, rather than starting afresh with a brand new midfield which could take time to gel.