Aston Villa striker John Carew is attracting interest from Serie A.

The Mirror says Norwegian hitman Carew, 30, has just 12 months left on his contract at Villa Park.

And both Fiorentina and Sampdoria are keen on the strapping 6ft 4in frontman, who earns £52,000-a-week at Villa.

Carew is very popular with supporters after netting 52 goals in 122 games following a move from Lyon in January 2007.

But Villa have to sell-to-buy as owner Randy Lerner seeks to make the club more financially sustainable.

Now Carew could be offloaded as he will be a free agent next summer and has an uneasy relationship with boss Martin O'Neill.