Should we renew Pirlo ?

It might seem that he is close to an extension anyways but i just want to carry out a hypothetical discussion.

While many maintain the notion that we struggle without Pirlo but is it really the case ? While he was out for a brief period,we started Marchisio in the holding role and not only we managed to be more stable defensively but also were scoring goals for fun literally,i mean we were scoring atleast 3-4 goals per game.

This isnt in any way discrediting Pirlo as he's proved to be quite vital for us in big games this year in the league but there may be some downsides to which i want to address.

-High wages.Its rumored that he might extend for another 2 years with a wage of 4m + bonuses.For an ageing player like him,i would like to think its a bit on the high side especially we can easily give that wage to Pogba and retain his services for a few more years without having forced to sell him because of agent demands.
-As said before,huge liability when teams hit us on the counter.Its happened often both in the league as well as Europe.
-3-5-2 formation is geared towards protecting Pirlo.I feel some part of it on why we have continued to persist with this formation is to get the best out of him in my opinion.While it has worked wonders in the league ofcourse ,there's been a stark contrast in Europe.Any formation change next season may or may not depend on him.
-The fact that Pirlo still wants to be at the core of the project should he renew.Would you agree with that sentiment ?

Ideally keeping him around for a couple more seasons would be great.An experienced head like him in the locker room will always carry significance.But only if he can accept rotation more and definitely not at the expense of selling Pogba especially if we are giving Pirlo high wages.

Would like to hear more opinions.

Even though i'm a big Pirlo fan, I don't think he should be a guaranteed starter for us next season.

He'll do great against teams in Serie A and people will laugh at this, but the fact is he's a liability against teams who press us to death

I think no tbh, I loved our team more with Marchisio as DLP/DM and we were far more aggressive

Disagree Tom. Pirlo doesn't falter when he is pressed, if anything he is at his best when he is forced under pressure thus taking better accountability of his channels of passing and catalyses within tight spaces. Where and when he fails is when he is placed in the role directly in front of the defence while Marchisio/Pogba and Vidal aren't accounted to protect him while he is left alone to screen the defence. Screen the defence, he does very well yet the defensive responsibility knackers him swiftly as then he cannot focus on his finest requisites. It rears its ugly head when Conte deploys that deep-set counter-attack plan to which doesn't benefit anyone in the team bar the integrity of the defence-essentially as we have discussed, Conte's worst tactical featurette.

Yes, even tho I agree we should play him less