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Real Madrid Agree Cassano Terms With Sampdoria

Antonio Cassano is finally set to leave Real Madrid - if only temporarily. Los Merengues have agreed to partition the player's wages with Sampdoria, who will receive the Italian striker on loan in exchange for paying a third of his gargantuan salary...

Spanish sports daily Marca reports that Antonio Cassano's loan move from Real Madrid to Sampdoria is all but done and dusted.

As recently reported, the troubled Italian forward has been the subject of intense negotiation between the Genovese and the Madridistas, with a deal finally being brokered this evening.

Now, with Sampdoria agreeing to pay 1.4 million euros of the player's wage bill, he's on the way to the Blucerchiati.

Real Madrid will be glad to shift the striker from their squad, but still have to pay the remaining two-thirds of Cassano's salary.

Rumours of a 5.5 million euro buyout clause in the loan deal suggest that Los Merengues could yet recoup at least some of their investment, but it's clear that the Antonio Cassano saga has been a disappointing one for Madrid from start to finish.

The striker arrived from Roma in January 2005 amidst almost hysterical fanfare but never quite hit the heights he managed in Italy with the Giallorossi.

Instead, he tumbled steadily down the pecking order at the Bernabeu, playing fewer than 400 minutes of Liga football in his debut half-season, netting only once.

2006-07 proved little better; Cassano's apparent weight gain and allegedly poor attitude putting him in poor stead for a recovery of form. He started - but failed to finish - five league matches, scoring just, during a route of Levante in Valencia.

Nonetheless, there is undoubted talent in there somewhere. Madrid were parted with their 6 million euros based on the diminutive's prolific and energetic showings for Roma, who in turn signed him from his hometown team Bari in 2001.

Perhaps now that Cassano is back on home soil, he can finally justify his Madrid price tag - although, going on past form, his career in Italy has been as controversial as that of Spain.

Whether it's making rude gestures to referees, falling out with a succession of Roma coaches, or seemingly constant contractual disputes at Roma, Antonio was seldom far from the headlines during his time in Serie A.

Sampdoria, of course, will hope for more media attention... only, of course, if it relates to his goalscoring exploits.