Cassano's contract to end prematurely?

Sampdoria's wonder man, Antonio Cassano has been often linked to Inter as a possible transfer target; since Mancini's arrival at the club there has hardly been a transfer window during which the striker from Bari has not been identified as a likely arrival. The deal though has never entered serious talks, and has always seemed more like a media creation rather than a genuine option. In his first few seasons in Genoa, Cassano was hardly considered by most coaches due to his difficult behavior displayed more often than not on the playing field. His more recent performances though, combined with the maturity displayed off the field led many to change their mind. Once this occured though, Sampdoria started recognizing the player's true value, and his predicted cost has been sky rocketing ever since, limiting any possible trade.

This situation though, seems on the verge of changing. During the past week Cassano has been removed from the available players list at Sampdoria following a fierce discussion held with Blucerchiati's president Garrone who seems to have not taken well the insults received by the player. The latest addition to these events though is a spectacular one, for Sampdoria has officially asked the governing bodies of Italian football to end Cassano's contract prematurely for disciplinary reasons. The decision is to arrive in the next few days.

The prospect of signing such a talent without having to spend a penny is a higly intriguing one, and Inter do not seem to be the only club in the run for the Italian national player. Juventus are the ones that have displayed the major interest so far, hence appearing in the lead for the race to this fantastic player. On the other hand though, the list of contenders is long, with Milan and Manchester City also appearing as tough competition. A lot of news are to be expected in the days to come regarding the issue.