Samba joins QPR, Arsenal pounces to land Monreal

Queens Park Rangers broke its transfer record to sign Christopher Samba and Arsenal swooped for Spanish full-back Nacho Monreal as the January transfer window clanged shut in England on Thursday.

QPR is currently four points from safety at the foot of the Premier League and manager Harry Redknapp hopes former Blackburn Rovers center-back Samba will help stiffen his side's fragile defense.

The giant Congolese defender signed on a four-and-a-half-year deal for a reported fee of $19.7 million from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala.

"I'm delighted to be back in the Premier League. It's the best league in the world to play football," Samba told the QPR website.

"I've been linked with the club for a long time. With Harry here though, he is really passionate and he wants to do something with the club."

"Chris is just what we need," Redknapp said. "He's a monster. Great in the air, quick, a leader, strong, fantastic in both boxes, hard as nails. He's a proper center-half."

QPR also completed loan moves for Tottenham Hotspur midfielders Jermaine Jenas and Andros Townsend, while Argentine midfielder Alejandro Faurlin was allowed to leave the club to join Italian side Palermo on loan.

Late on Thursday, Arsenal announced a deal for Spain international left-back Monreal from Malaga.

"We are delighted that Nacho Monreal has agreed to join us," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

"We have been monitoring him for some time now and are really pleased that we've been able to agree this move."

Stoke City made two late moves in the transfer window, signing England international goalkeeper Jack Butland from Birmingham City and United States winger Brek Shea from FC Dallas.

Butland, who was named in Roy Hodgson's England squad earlier in the day, will be loaned back to Birmingham until the end of the season.

"I feel very good. I'm glad to get it done, it's the next step of my career and I'm looking forward to it," Butland told Sky Sports News.

Sunderland announced the capture of Danny Graham in a switch from League Cup finalist Swansea City.

The 27-year-old striker, who had lost his place in the Swans' starting 11 to Spanish close-season signing Michu, has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract at the Stadium of Light.

The Premier League also bade farewell to trouble-prone Italian striker Mario Balotelli, who completed a move to AC Milan after falling out of favor at champion Manchester City.

Norwich City announced that it had agreed to sign Argentine forward Luciano Becchio from second-tier Leeds United in a part-exchange deal that will see Wales international striker Steve Morison move in the opposite direction.

(China Daily 02/02/2013 page15)