Steve Kean has confirmed that Blackburn Rovers last week rejected two bids from an unnamed club for Chris Samba.
Kean also refuses to confirm or deny Johnson interest
Steve Kean has confirmed that Blackburn Rovers last week rejected two bids from an unnamed club for Chris Samba and has maintained that the defender is not for sale.
Sky Sports sources reported six days ago that Queens Park Rangers had offered £5million for the centre-back, while Tottenham Hotspur are also confirmed admirers and are thought to be considering a £7.5m approach.
QPR have since seemingly switched attention to Chelsea's Alex, with Blackburn having issued a statement ruing out the sale of Samba.
But quotes emerged on Thursday morning from the 27-year-old in French newspaper
L'Equipe in which he admitted to an interest in a move to Paris Saint Germain and sounded his disillusion at the perceived lack of ambition of his current club's owners, Venky's.
Kean has claimed not to have spoken to Samba, who last February signed a contract extension at Blackburn which placed him under terms until 2015, about the interview and has reaffirmed that there is no desire to sell.
Committed
The Scot said ahead of Saturday's Premier League match against Fulham at Ewood Park: "There were two bids from one club, that were refused, and there was a statement put out from the club to say that he is not for sale.
"It is a strong statement and that is the statement we are backing all the way. He is an important player and we want him to stay."
Kean also said: "We committed ourselves to Chris. He is not a long time into a long contract. There has been an offer that has come in and we have said no.
"There was interest in the last window and I believe there has been interest long before I was sitting here (as manager).
No surprise
"There has been interest all along. It doesn't surprise me, because he is a quality player for us and we would like to keep him. I would like to end it at that."
Kean, at the same time as attempting to keep hold of Samba, has also repeated his determination to add new signings to his struggling squad.
But the Blackburn manager has refused to confirm or deny that he has bid for Fulham striker Andy Johnson.
"I don't want to mention any names," said Kean. "I said at the beginning of the window, we will try and get bodies in and try and get them as quickly as we can.
"It has been slow. It has been slow for everybody.
"I don't want to name anybody. I don't want to give you numbers. I don't want to give you figures. But we have been very busy over the last eight, nine days.
"We would like to be here announcing people and you seeing faces, as opposed to speculation."
