Queens Park Rangers were expected to be the busiest Premier League club as the final day of the January transfer window dawned on Thursday.
With manager Harry Redknapp battling to guide his side off the foot of the table and towards safety, the London club announced the signing of Congolese centre-back Christopher Samba from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala.
QPR said the former Blackburn Rovers defender had signed a four-and-a-half-year contract, with media reports claiming the transfer fee was £12.5 million ($19.7 million, 14.6 million euros).
"I'm delighted to be back in the Premier League. It's the best league in the world to play football," he 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.
"Unfortunately things haven't gone the way the club would have wanted so far this season but there's still a lot of time and I'm sure we can get out of it."
QPR have also been linked with moves for Tottenham Hotspur midfielders David Bentley and Jermaine Jenas and Stoke City striker Peter Crouch, who has played under Redknapp at three previous clubs.
QPR have created space in their squad by allowing Argentine midfielder Alejandro Faurlin to join Italian side Palermo on loan.
The Premier League has also bid farewell to trouble-prone Italian striker Mario Balotelli, who completed a £19 million move to AC Milan after falling out of favour at champions Manchester City.
Norwich City announced that they 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.
The move, subject to the completion of the relevant paperwork, will see Becchio arrive at Carrow Road on a three-and-a-half-year contract.
"I cannot wait to play my first game for Norwich," he told the club website.
"I am really happy about having the chance to play in the Premier League, it is brilliant for me personally and for my career."
Fulham have completed a loan move for AC Milan utility player Urby Emanuelson, but the BBC reported that Tom Huddlestone's proposed loan switch from Spurs had fallen through.
Source: AFP
