Stoke City have confirmed their signing of former Town skipper Jon Walters on a four-year deal and have revealed that the fee is £2.75 million rising to £3.25 million on appearances. The Potters were initially linked with a move for the 26-year-old two years ago.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis said: "I have been looking to bring more goals to the squad and Jon certainly fits that bill.
"He has been one of the outstanding performers in the Championship over the past three years and I am confident the lad can make the same sort of impact in the Premier League now that he has been given this opportunity.
"The fact that he is versatile will increase competition for places in the squad which is something we have been looking to achieve."
Walters says he is delighted to make the switch: "It's always good to know that a manager has that faith in your ability and that was certainly an influence on my decision to come here.
"I am excited about moving here and it is the fulfilment of a long term goal of mine to get back into the Premier League.
"I had a sniff of it in my time at Bolton, but I knew that in dropping down the leagues, it would take a lot of hard work to get back there one day.
"I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Ipswich, especially being the captain of the club, but this was the opportunity I had been working towards and I'm glad it's come at a club like Stoke."
Town chief executive Simon Clegg paid tribute to Walters's time at Portman Road: "I would like to thank Jon for the hard work, commitment and professionalism he has shown on the pitch during his career at Portman Road.
"Recognising that every player’s dream is to play in the Premier League we are delighted that Jon has achieved this goal and we wish him every success at his new club.
"I am sure our supporters will see that this is very good business for the club, one of the most significant transfer deals in the club’s history, and will join us in sending their best wishes to Jon for his future career.”
On Friday, QPR made a bid for Walters but the former Republic of Ireland B international, who comes from Birkenhead, has long been understood to want a move back to the north.