Fernandes wants to build team around Samba

03 May 2013 08:45

QPR chairman Tony Fernandes thinks it would be 'fantastic' to build a team around Christopher Samba in the npower Championship next season.

The towering centre-half made a big-money move to Loftus Road in January and many presumed he would be one of the first to leave this summer following relegation from the Barclays Premier League.

But Fernandes is confident the club can hold onto the former Blackburn man and has revealed that Harry Redknapp is due to speak with the defender on Friday. When asked how realistic the chances of keeping Samba are, Fernandes told London Call-In: "I think it's very real."

He added: "I haven't had a chance to speak to Chris since (relegation) and I think Harry is sitting down with him tomorrow.

"We want players who want to play for us.

"I think the days of bringing in players because of their reputation, their name and they're just coming to QPR for the salary are gone.

"We want to have players who want to play for us, who are excited by walking down that tunnel and going to play for us.

"We're under no pressure now to just keep players so if Chris wants to stay with us, if he believes in what the club can do, then I'd love him to be one of the pivotal points of the Championship side.

"But if he doesn't feel that this is right for him then I don't want to force him to stay and I'd rather get someone who gets excited going out there.

"But Chris would be a tower in the Championship and it would be fantastic to build a team around him."

Source: PA