Portsmouth manager Steve Cotterill has confirmed that exiting Town skipper David Norris will join Pompey when his Blues contract comes to an end on July 1st. Cotterill has been chasing Norris since January when his club made a £250,000 offer for the 30-year-old midfielder.
Cotterill said: "David has agreed to come here and will be in to join his new team-mates on July 1st. We’re delighted that he’s agreed to come.
"He has great leadership qualities. You don’t become the captain of a great club like Ipswich Town if you don’t. He is a leader, has great quality and scores goals.
"We’ve agreed and sorted out his arrival now. It’s a big bonus. We’ve agreed that and we look forward to welcoming him to the football club. We’ve been waiting for a long time.
"David has also been very patient waiting, and that is something I thank him for. I looking forward to working with him very much.”
Norris, who was also believed to be interesting Nottingham Forest, Hull City, Leeds and Wigan, told Blues boss Paul Jewell that he was moving on after the final game of the season at Leicester.
The former Plymouth man turned down the offer of a two-year deal with Town with a three-season contract understood to be on offer at Fratton Park.
Meanwhile, Portsmouth striker David Nugent increasingly appears destined for Leicester, the Blues having been linked with the out-of-contract England man earlier in the summer.
Town have also now been mentioned in connection with 25-year-old Olympiacos striker Matt Derbyshire.
The former Blackburn man, a one-time England U21 international, spent last season on loan at Birmingham and had been linked with a £1 million permanent move to St Andrew’s, although manager Alex McLeish’s exit and their relegation may have some bearing on his situation. Cardiff City are also claimed to be interested.