Sampdoria have admitted that they are desperate to keep Italian star Antonio Cassano on a long-term contract and hope to sign him from Real Madrid sooner rather than later.

“We are happy with his time in the Blucerchiati shirt and we want to keep him for next season,” Sampdoria sporting director Giuseppe Marotta told Radio Kiss Kiss.

“Lately Antonio has said that he wants the same thing. Within the next fortnight we will go to Madrid to discuss this.

"I know that Napoli sporting director Pierpaolo Marino has said that if he had to choose between Ezequiel Lavezzi and Cassano, he would choose the Argentine. It’s only right that he would choose Lavezzi, but I would go for Cassano."