Pride before profit: QPR turned down Zenit's massive offer for Christopher Samba 3 Mar 2013 23:00 "We had an offer for Samba, right on the deadline and the chairman turned it down. It was for more money than we paid," claims Harry Redknapp Not for sale: Queens Park Rangers' Christopher Samba PA QPR chairman Tony Fernandes turned down a "massive offer" from Zenit St Petersburg which could have seen the Hoops make a quick profit on Chris Samba. Harry Redknapp revealed that a Russian club - which Mirror Sport can reveal was Zenit - came in for Samba last week with more money than the £12.5m QPR paid Anzhi for the centre half in January. QPR are still well adrift from safety and will be left with a huge wage bill if they go down but Fernandes decided against cashing in on Samba. The Russian transfer window was open until last week and Zenit believed a deal would have complied with FIFA rules. Redknapp insists Samba proved his worth with a brilliant display in QPR's win at Southampton and also claims the ex-Blackburn defender would have been a perfect fit for Arsenal and could play for a top six club. QPR boss Redknapp said: "We had an offer for Samba, right on the deadline and the chairman turned it down. It was for more money than we paid for Samba. "The offer was last week - it was a massive offer to take Samba back to Russia. It was in the week that has just gone as the Russian window was still open. It was a big offer. He asked Harry: QPR chairman Tony Fernandes discussed Zenit's Samba offer with Redknapp Paul Gilham "The chairman asked me 'what do you think?' and I said 'it is up to you, it is your club, it is your decision'. I would have had no problem. I left it to the chairman. He came back and said he had turned it down and said 'get on with it'. "The player probably spoke to the chairman but it was really important we kept him. It was really good for us. Had we had lost him, I would have had to have played someone else. That is football. "But he is a proper player. When he was sold, I could never understand why Arsenal did not sign him that time. He is everything you need. He is quick, he can play round his feet. He is a proper centre-half. He could play anywhere in this country and for all the top teams." It is clear Redknapp feels QPR were criticised unfairly for signing Samba for such a big fee and on £100,000-a-week wages but obviously feels they will get their money back and more even if they go down. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/qpr-transfer-news-rangers-turned-1741392?
Imagine if they did cash in early doors? How bemusing would that of been for us? Almost as mad as when Arsenal signed Clive Allen from us in 1979 and within a few weeks was at Palace.
Madder than that. We were/are short of quality in that department and only just brought him in to replace the Admiral. So we sell him for a coupla three mill profit - and sink like a lead balloon. Logic?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...central-to-Premier-League-survival-hopes.html Part of the a good article in the Telegraph too giving Samba a good review
Would of been stupid to cash in on him as soon as we brought him hes a quality player who is underrated who would we of played instead of him i dont no but if we did not have him against southampton im not sure we would of got all three points which we deserved.
