Tottenham Hotspur: Chris Samba Could Be a Major Piece to Spurs' Transfer Puzzle

It's no secret: Tottenham Hotspur are in dire need of a competent, skillful striker this transfer season if they have any hope recapturing their top-four glory of the 2009-2010 campaign. But it also wouldn't hurt to pick up a strong and capable center back in the meantime.

That's exactly what Spurs hope to achieve in this week's bid to Blackburn to land hot-item defender Chris Samba.

Spurs reportedly submitted a cash-plus-players offer to Blackburn yesterday (with the offered players unnamed thus far) worth an estimated 10 million. Players rumored to be attached to the offer include Jermain Defoe, Robbie Keane, David Bentley and Sebastian Bassong.

Blackburn was previously rumored to be uninterested in selling the Congolese International, as other sides like Arsenal and Everton hoped to add him to their ranks. However, as Blackburn themselves look to improve on last season's fifteenth-place finish, adding some of Tottenham's talent could prove too tantalizing of an offer to pass up.

Spurs hope to orchestrate a deal in this case that could potentially benefit both sides of the table equally. While Spurs hope to offload some of the attacking-game disappointments that hindered their production in 2010-11, Blackburn could use the same talent to improve their own production. And in the process, Spurs could fill one of the most glaring gaps that currently exists at White Hart Lane.

Christopher Samba currently represents one of the most impressive defensive presences in the Premier League. This after establishing himself as a staple and long-time captain of Blackburn's squad, and even scoring 19 goals for the club since 2007 (which averages out to more goals per season than Peter Crouch or Jermain Defoe were able to record for Spurs in league play last year).

Samba has expressed interest in leaving Blackburn for a more competitive club, craving Champions League like many of EPL's top talents. If he were to come to North London, then he could easily play a vital role in helping Spurs achieve just that, and join them in Champions League in 2012-13.