Guus Hiddink has strengthened his FC Anzhi Makhachkala squad by bringing in defender Christopher Samba from Blackburn Rovers FC.

The Congolese international has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal, with the possibility of a further season, for a fee believed to be in the region of €14.1m. The 27-year-old made a significant impact at Ewood Park after arriving from Hertha BSC Berlin for around €500,000 in January 2007, racking up 161 league appearances and scoring 16 times.

The French-born centre-back, who started his career with CS Sedan-Ardennes, joins an Anzhi side that are seventh in the Russian Premier League and recently recruited Hiddink as coach to improve their fortunes.