Mark Hughes was confirmed as Queens Park Rangers manager on Tuesday and immediately tabled a £7million bid for Chris Samba. The former Manchester City boss signed a two-and-a-half-year contract, as Sportsmail exclusively predicted on Monday. And Hughes wasted no time in making his mark at Loftus Road by submitting an improved offer for Blackburn Rovers defender Samba. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...tantly-bids-7m-Chris-Samba.html#ixzz1j6lvwwxe Former Rangers manager Neil Warnockâs £5m offer for Samba was rejected last week but Hughes has made signing him his priority. It is understood Blackburn want at least £8m for their 27-year-old centre half, although it was last night unclear whether they had responded to the new offer. But Hughes, who signed Samba from Hertha Berlin in 2007 when he was Rovers manager, will face competition from Tottenham and paris Saint-Germain, who have also made an enquiry about the Congo defender. With the ink barely dry on his contract, Hughes, accompanied by adviser Kia Joorabchian and Rangers chief executive Phil Beard, went to the clubâs Harlington training base in west London to meet his players and explain his plan to keep them in the Barclays Premier League. He assured them they will be given the chance to impress him in the coming weeks but insisted he will not allow his high standards to slip as he tries to guide his new side to safety. Speaking to the clubâs official website, Hughes said: âIâm fully aware of the challenge in the short and long term and I am genuinely excited about the ambition of the owners. Now the immediate priority is to consolidate our place in the Barclays Premier League, but beyond that, the future is very bright and fills me with great enthusiasm.â Owner Tony Fernandes added: âMark has a proven track record in the Premier League, bringing a wealth of experience at both club and international level. âHe has a great passion to achieve as a manager and has already been hugely successful in his career. His ambitions match those of the board and we are delighted to have him at the helm.â Mark joins the four-club clubMark Hughes is the fifth man to manage four Premier League clubs. G Hughes left the training ground at the end of an emotional day for his players after sacked manager Neil Warnock also paid them a surprise visit. Warnock, together with his first-team coaches Keith Curle and Mick Jones, made a quick trip to Harlington to say his final goodbyes to players and staff. He thanked them for their commitment to him during his 22-month reign before making a quick exit. Warnock, 63, will discuss his immediate future with wife Sharon before deciding whether to continue with his managerial career. But Sportsmail understands that Championship strugglers Ipswich have already discussed the possibility of making a move for Warnock should they decide to axe their current manager Paul Jewell.
