Inter sign Samp striker

Serie A champions Inter Milan have signed striker Giampaolo Pazzini from Sampdoria for 10 million pounds.

Pazzini, 26, completed a medical on Friday before the transfer was finalised with French forward Jonathan Biabiany going in the other direction.

Pazzini revealed he could not resist a move to the European champions but said he was sorry to leave Sampdoria, for whom he scored six goals in 19 matches this season.

“I leave a piece of my heart in Genova. But you can’t say no to Inter,” Pazzini said.

The striker joined Sampdoria from Fiorentina in the January transfer window in 2009, with Pazzini quickly establishing himself as a hero at his new club with 11 goals in 19 Serie A appearances before the season ended.

He notched 19 goals in the Serie A last season for Sampdoria and will complement an Inter attack that features the likes of Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito.

The sale of Pazzini will hurt Sampdoria, who also recently lost striker Antonio Cassano to AS Roma.

Biabiany arrives at the Genova-based club without a Serie A goal to his name this season but the lively forward did score six times for Parma in 29 appearances last term.

His only goal this season for Inter came in the club’s 3-0 Club World Cup Final victory over African champions TP Mazembe but he has regularly featured throughout the season.