Riccardo Montolivo has received death threats for refusing to sign a new Fiorentina contract.

Montolivo is interesting Arsenal as a replacement for Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

Now police are investigating several messages posted on the 26-year-old's Facebook page.

Fiorentina chief executive Sandro Mencucci said: "The threats to Montolivo? I want to brand this behaviour as stupid. The threats were made a week ago by an imbecile. I want to close the discourse regarding Montolivo. We have said what we had to say."