Rovers given breathing space with Samba sale

The Rovers club captain is on his way after the club agreed a fee and terms with Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala to the tune of an initial £9 million.

Chris Samba has made pretty much no secret of the fact he wants to leave Rovers and looks to have finally got his wish with a move set to be sealed before tonight's 9pm (UK time) Russian transfer deadline.

The deal does carry some good news for Rovers fans who may be loath to lose one of the club's best players, the money raised from the sale will allow the club to all but settle their outstanding Barclays Bank issue which has been an ongoing problem for months now.

The sale allows Venky's to cover all major issues at Rovers until the summer and means they don't have to dip into their own pockets to finance any outstanding payments such as the cash owed to Dundee United for David Goodwillie (heaven forbid).

Hertha Berlin, who Rovers purchased Samba from, are also entitled to a slice of the pie with a sell on clause fee of roughly £2 million believed to be heading their way.

Samba himself can start a fresh after six years service at the club, he asked for a career move and he ended up with an escape that guarantees him a wad of cash. Probably not what he had in mind but he has always been a player with an eye on chasing the best money possible... and no that's not bitterness talking.

Thanks for your help Samba, hard to deny you've been a great buy for Rovers on the whole even if you did show your true colours at the very end.

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