Marcus Bent has signed a 3.5 year deal at Portman Road and the deal was complete by midday so he's available for Sunday at Middlesbrough.
George Burley said: "We are pleased that Marcus is joining our club. At the age of 23 I feel that Marcus has the potential to develop as one of the finest strikers in the Premiership. A proven goalscorer he is also quick, excellent in the air and has a strong physical presence."
Chairman David Sheepshanks added his welcome to the striker: "We are very pleased to welcome Marcus Bent to Ipswich Town Football Club and I am confident that he will bring added strength and power to the team. He is a former England Under-21 international and with over 200 first team matches under his belt already at the age of 23, he has a proven record on which we can help him reach his full potential in the game. Although undisclosed this is another very substantial investment in our squad emphasising the commitment of the board of directors to provide the maximum support possible to the manager and his coaching staff to enable us to retain our Premiership status."
The fee is thought to be around the £3 million mark.
George Burley has long been an admirer of Bent and earlier today said that he even looked at the former Sheffield United man when he was looking for a striker two years ago. Then he settled on Marcus Stewart. Burley was also linked with a move for Bent in the summer of 2000, but the Town manager said there was nothing in those links at the time.