[Marcelo]

Samp prepare Cassano mission Thursday 7 February, 2008

Sampdoria sporting director Giuseppe Marotta reveals he is planning to discuss the future of Antonio Cassano with Real Madrid in the coming weeks.

Cassano has reinvented himself on loan at Marassi after a miserable spell at the Bernabeu and is back in the frame for an Azzurri place.

While the Bari native is due to return to Madrid in the summer, Samp are keen to keep him at the club, in spite of possible competition from Inter.

“We are happy with his time in the Blucerchiati shirt and we want to keep him for next season,” Marotta admitted on 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.

He is having a good time and it is clear that he will be called to the national side if he can increase his consistency.

“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.”

Sampdoria continue to be plagued by inconsistency and a dismal away record that has seen them beaten eight times on their travels.

“As a side, our project is a new one and maybe that’s why we seem to be a different team at home and away,” Marotta mused.

“We have asked what the reason is for the difference in results, but we haven’t found an answer yet.

“Our objective is to do whatever we can to get into Europe and play some famous sides.”

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