QPR 'out of their minds' to spend £12.5m on Chris Samba... says director of the club they bought him from

Samba joined relegation threatened side from Anzhi Makhachkala on transfer deadline day

The director of Anzhi Makhachkala has said QPR were 'out of their minds' to spend £12.5m on Chris Samba.

The Congo centre-back joined the relegation threatened side on January transfer deadline day after a release clause was triggered in his contract.

QPR are also reported to be paying him wages in the region of £100,000-a-week.

Speaking to Russian news site www.sports.ru, Tkachenko said: "At QPR he will earn almost as much as he did at Anzhi. In my view QPR have lost their minds.

"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 £12.5million, the amount required by his contract."

Many observers were shocked at QPR's spending during the transfer window, which also saw striker Loic Remy move to Loftus Road in an £8.5m deal.

However, it was the £12.5m spent on a 28-year-old defender, who will have little re-sale value if he remains at the club for a couple of seasons, that seemed the biggest gamble.

Samba, described by QPR manager Harry Redknapp as a "monster", made his debut for the Rs in a 0-0 home draw with Norwich. In his most recent match QPR conceded four against Swansea.

Tkachenko also revealed former Blackburn defender Samba was keen to return to western Europe for family reasons.

"It was linked to the threat that he would lose contact with his children," Tkachenko added.

"That was a big blow. He was a guy who loved all of us. And besides, he is a very good defender.

"I think he is one of the top five defenders currently playing in Europe."

The Anzhi director also raised the possibility that Samba could return to Russia.

Tkachenko said: "If we are successful and playing in the Champions League, I dream that Samba will become an Anzhi player again."