Going for Gunners: EPL leader drops summer transfer hint

Blackburn Rovers defender Christopher Samba has opened the door for a summer move to Arsenal after revealing he almost joined them in January according to the Daily Mail.

The 27-year-old stalwart in fact committed his future to Rovers by signing a new contract to 2015, but the commanding centre-half may consider his future again in June.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is crying out for a defensive leader to add some much needed steel and influence to the Gunners' backline.

Samba fits the bill and would be regarded as an excellent signing should he move to the Emirates Stadium when the transfer window reopens this summer.

"Everyone knows I am ambitious," said Samba in a recent interview.


 

"You only have one career so you need to make the best of it. I've committed myself to do my best for Blackburn and then we'll see in the summer."

With Rovers engulfed in a basement battle to avoid the drop, Samba's performances have at times not seemingly got the recognition they deserve.

A player of his calibre could almost certainly cut it at a higher level, with Arsenal able to offer him that platform to test himself amongst Europe's best.

Following Arsenal's weekend defeat at the hands of Stoke City, Wenger's side once again showed their defensive frailties – something that will surely be addressed in the close-season.

"We have been caught on set pieces and for the first goal Kenwyne Jones didn't even need to jump," complained Wenger.

"That is of course something we have to correct and we have to get some experience because I feel we are sometimes a bit naive."

Arsenal have been linked with a number of defensive additions including Gary Cahill and Samba's teammate Phil Jones in recent weeks.

However, with both Englishman believed to carry a hefty price tag, a move for Samba could prove to be more realistic and fit in with Arsenal's stringent transfer policy.