Queens Park Rangers were "out of their minds" to break the bank to sign the defender Christopher Samba from Anzhi Makhachkala – according to the Russian club's own director.

The Congo centre-half was recruited into Rangers' campaign for Premier League survival after they triggered a release clause to push through a £12.5m transfer, with a contract which is reported to be worth around £100,000-a-week.

QPR's manager, Harry Redknapp, described Samba as a "monster" and is in no doubt it will be money well spent should the west London club avoid relegation, although his side remain seven points adrift of safety following a 4-1 defeat at Swansea.

The Anzhi director German Tkachenko, however, revealed that no one there could quite believe what QPR were willing to pay to get their man. Speaking to the Russian news site www.sports.ru, Tkachenko said: "At QPR he will earn almost as much as he did at Anzhi. In my view QPR have lost their minds.

"When they agreed to pay his release fee we wept. He [Samba] wept. Everybody says that he ran away from the club, but that's not true. He didn't put any pressure on the club until we received an offer from QPR for £12.5m, the amount required by his contract."

Tkachenko revealed that the former Blackburn Rovers defender Samba was keen to return to western Europe for family reasons. "It was linked to the threat that he would lose contact with his children," Tkachenko added.

"That was a big blow. He was a guy who loved all of us. And besides, he is a very good defender. I think he is one of the top five defenders currently playing in Europe."

Samba's contract with QPR has sparked much discussion of how it will burden the club financially if they do not survive, although Redknapp has maintained that "there will be takers for Samba all day".

Anzhi would certainly be keen on a return move. Tkachenko said: "If we are successful and playing in the Champions League, I dream that Samba will become an Anzhi player again."