Anzhi director says QPR were 'out of their minds' to splash out on Samba

Harry Redknapp and gambles in the transfer market goes hand in glove, but even by his standards the package to take Chris Samba to Loftus Road was risky.



While most people were scratching their heads that the club would pay £12.5 million and offer £100,000 a week over four and a half years for the former Blackburn centre-half, it seems Anzi Makhachkala themselves couldn’t get over the offer made for their Congolese defender.



Director of the big-spending Russian club German Tkachenko said that the club wept – in a good way – when the offer came in and think that the London club were out of their minds to pay such sums in order to get the defender.



“At QPR he will earn almost as much as he did at Anzhi. In my view QPR have lost their minds,” he told Russian media.



“When they agreed to pay his release fee we wept. He [Samba] wept. Everybody says that he ran away from the club, but that's not true. He didn't put any pressure on the club until we received an offer from QPR for £12.5m, the amount required by his contract,” he added.



He did suggest that Samba is also one of the top five defenders in Europe, but maybe he sees qualities most others don’t.



Seven points adrift of safety, Samba will need to tighten up a porous defence very quickly or we will soon be looking at perhaps the highest earning player ever to feature in the Championship.

QPR sign Ben Haim on short-term deal

QPR manager Harry Redknapp has confirmed the signing of defender Tal Ben Haim on a short-term contract until the end of the season.



The Isreali international has been a free agent since leaving Portsmouth in August 2012 and joins in time to face West Brom in the FA Cup on Saturday.



The 30-year-old has been training with the R's for the past six weeks and Redknapp believes his experience will help them avoid relegation.



“Tal’s a great professional with vast experience and I’m confident he’ll be a really useful addition to the squad,” Redknapp told www.qpr.co.uk.



“His attitude is first class and the fact he can play anywhere across the back four is obviously a big bonus for us.



“He just wants to play. He’s not here for the money or anything like that. He just wants to come in and do his best for the club.”

Redknapp to ring the changes

QPR will be aiming for just their second win of the league campaign while West Brom returned to winning ways last Saturday.

Harry Redknapp looks set to ring the changes for QPR after his criticism of the side that lost to Newcastle on Saturday.

Julio Cesar may be available after a back problem, while Nedum Onuoha and Armand Traore are doubts with hamstring problems.

Ji-Sung Park (knee), Andrew Johnson (knee) and Bobby Zamora (hip) are still unavailable, while Keiron Dyer remains a long-term absentee

West Brom's Youssouf Mulumbu is available after suspension for the trip to Loftus Road.

The midfielder was unavailable for the weekend home win over Norwich after incurring five bookings this season.



Baggies boss Steve Clarke will check on the fitness of defender Steven Reid (ankle) and midfielder Claudio Yacob (hamstring) before finalising his side.


-->

Redknapp on the brink at QPR

Harry Redknapp says he is looking forward to the challenge of attempting to lead QPR away from the Premier League relegation zone.



The 65-year-old is poised to take over the reins at Loftus Road after Mark Hughes was sacked on Friday morning, and is on the brink of agreeing a deal following a day of negotiations.



Rangers are four points adrift at the bottom of the table after failing to win any of their opening 12 matches but Redknapp believes he can guide them to safety.



"I'm hopeful we can get it done tonight, there shouldn't be any problems," said Redknapp, who has been out of work since leaving Tottenham in the summer.



"I fancy getting back into the Premier League. QPR is a good club, with great fans and a great atmosphere.



"I am looking forward to it. It's a big challenge. It will be a tough job to take on but I am up for the challenge."

Harry pondering Ukraine post

Representatives of Harry Redknapp are in talks over a big-money offer to install him as Ukraine manager.

It has been claimed discussions have been going on for a fortnight after the Ukrainian FA made the former Spurs boss their number-one target.



Redknapp's agent Paul Stretford is thought to be in Kiev thrashing out the details of the deal, which will see his client back in work for the first time since being shown the door at White Hart Lane in June.



QPR had been expected to sack Mark Hughes and chase his managerial services, but Redknapp may well agree a contract with Ukraine by the end of this week.



He previously told Sportsmail: "It's a fantastic job. I found out about it a couple of weeks ago when they got in touch with my advisors. I am serious about it.



"They are an up and coming football country with some very good young players, some great teams like Shakhtar and some great stadiums.



"I will talk to them and see if we can sort something out. I'm definitely interested, without a doubt."



If Redknapp agrees to the offer, he would be set to lead Ukraine when they face England in a potentially crucial World Cup qualifier in Kiev next September.