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SPECULATION: Samba (Photo credit: Colin Patterson)

BLACKBURN ROVERS captain Christopher Samba looks set to join Queens Park Rangers in a deal which could earn him around £80,000 a week.

New manager Mark Hughes, whose appointment as R’s boss was confirmed earlier today (Jan 10), has pinpointed the 27-year-old, who he brought to England when he was Rovers boss, as his key target.

QPR chairman Tony Fernandes has promised the former Fulham and Manchester City manager a £20m transfer budget to try and keep the team in the Premier League, and although Blackburn rejected a £5m offer for the defender last week, Hughes is confident that his close relationship with Samba will seal the deal.

The centre back sat out Blackburn’s 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Newcastle on Saturday (Jan 7), fuelling speculation that he is set to leave.

Samba joined Blackburn for £450,000 from German side Hertha Berlin in January 2007. Since then he has made 184 appearances for the club, scoring 18 goals and providing eight assists.

He expressed his desire to leave the Lancashire side in January 2011, stating: “This is my fifth season here. I've had ups and downs but today I don't want to waste any more time. I want to go higher and I wonder if Blackburn can take me there.”

However a month later, he signed a new contract keeping him at the club until 2015.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is also tracking the Congolese defender as the club have injury concerns over Ledley King and William Gallas.

Redknapp said on Sunday: “I like Samba, he’s a good player.”

Reports have suggested that he could make a late bid of £7m to try and scupper the QPR deal.