Sampdoria missed out on landing Partizan Belgrade starlet Stevan Jovetic in the summer, it has been revealed.

Manchester United have already offered £7 million for the 17 year-old Montenegro striker and are desperate to close a deal before rivals Ajax and Manchester City kickoff a full-blown auction.

Meanwhile, Controcampo says Real Madrid offered to buy Jovetic and place him at Samp on-loan this season. The option was discussed during Samp's negotiations over the loan agreement for Antonio Cassano, but in the end the talks fizzled out.