Cardiff City striker Michael Chopra has completed his £1.5 million move to the Blues, signing a three-year deal.

The 27-year-old, whose fee is officially undisclosed, says he sees joining the Town as a new challenge: "I enjoyed my time at Cardiff but this is a new start for me at Ipswich and I'm looking forward to it.

"I spoke to the manager and was impressed with his plans for the club. I know some of the players here as well and from talking to them, it was clear there is real ambition at Ipswich.

"I can't wait to get going and the target is to help the club reach the Premier League."

Boss Paul Jewell added: "Michael is a top quality striker who has a terrific goals to games ratio.

"He is a clever player with good pace and has a proven track record when it comes to putting the ball in the net.

"He's ambitious and so are we. He's the type of player we are looking for to help take us forward. He will bring proven quality to the squad and I'm delighted to have him at the club."

Chief executive Simon Clegg is pleased to have completed the club's first signing of the summer: "We're obviously delighted to have added Michael to the squad. It's a signing that I'm sure will excite our supporters."

His Cardiff counterpart Gethin Jenkins paid tribute to Chopra's time with the Bluebirds: "I would like to put on record our thanks and best wishes for Michael and his future career. He has provided us with some fond memories and goals, but it's understandable that he seeks a fresh challenge.

"We now continue the process of securing a manager and a squad to challenge in the Championship next season and will look forward to seeing both Michael and Ipswich at Cardiff City Stadium and Portman Road during the 2011/12 campaign."

As first revealed by TWTD, Chopra was at Town yesterday for talks and to undergo a medical with the negotiations being concluded earlier today. With the player understood to have returned home and with Jewell and Clegg both away from the club at present, no press conference is planned for today.

Town, who previously targeted the former Sunderland and Newcastle man during Roy Keane’s time in charge, are understood to have turned their attention back to Chopra late last month after having a £2.3 million offer for Doncaster striker Billy Sharp turned down.

An initial offer of £1 million was turned down by the managerless Welsh club but a subsequent £1.5 million bid was accepted by the play-off semi-finalists.

A one-time trainee at his hometown club Newcastle, Chopra, who qualifies to play for India via his father, scored 11 goals in 28 starts and 11 sub appearances for Cardiff during 2010/11, despite being in and out of the side due to injuries.

Overall, Chopra, who also had loan spells with Watford, Nottingham Forest and Barnsley before joining Cardiff for the first time from the Magpies for £500,000 in June 2006, has scored 65 goals in 142 starts and 20 sub appearances over his two permanent spells and two periods on loan with the Welsh side.

In July 2007 the 5ft 9in tall frontman joined Roy Keane's Premier League Sunderland for £5 million, rejoining Cardiff permanently for £4 million two years later after successful spells on loan in the second half of 2008/09.

Photo: ITFC

Photo: Action Images

Chicago_Blue added 16:11 - Jun 10 YES!!!!!!!!!!! Awesome news.
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baldman added 16:11 - Jun 10 great start 1 down 6 to go
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singaporeblue added 16:12 - Jun 10 He agreed terms!sorted!Now let the rest follow!!!!
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Dowson added 16:13 - Jun 10 WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP
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BwoodBlue added 16:14 - Jun 10 Get in there! COYB!
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Ipswich24 added 16:14 - Jun 10 Brilliant news now lets get Billy Sharp in and we will have a great strike force to choose from well done Paul Jewell
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Pip50 added 16:14 - Jun 10 Good me refresh button was shorting out
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robdaful added 16:14 - Jun 10 Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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TerryButchersBandage added 16:15 - Jun 10 I knew this was happening yesterday evening when I spoke to him. Had my boys shirt printed this morning. Result!!! Well done Town.
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whoppit added 16:15 - Jun 10 Unfortunately, you get what you pay for in football and Cardiff were desperate to get shot of him because of his mental and gambling problems. So desperate that they don't get a penny of the fee as it goes to Sunderland. I predict an injury hit season with 4 or 5 goals.
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cornishnick added 16:16 - Jun 10 Suddenly, I'm actually looking forward to the new season.
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KenDubZ added 16:16 - Jun 10 YEAH GET IN THEIR HAHAHA LETS GO F*CKIN MENTAL LETS GO F*CKING MENTAL LALALA
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BlueITFC added 16:17 - Jun 10 Superb news and lets hope can do the business for town:)
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pitchy added 16:18 - Jun 10 Quality player well done pj clegg and itfc. whos next????
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Infineteregress added 16:19 - Jun 10
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dan_itfc55 added 16:19 - Jun 10 GET IN THERE!!!!!! IVE BEEN CHECKING THIS SITE EVERY 30 MINUTES OR SO WAITING FOR THIS HEADLINE AND FINALLY I HAVE READ IT!!! WHAT A SIGNING THIS IS!! REALLY PUT ME IN A GOOD MOOD FOR THE WEEKEND!!
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Dowson added 16:19 - Jun 10 HERE WE GO :)
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dobbie73 added 16:20 - Jun 10 AWESOME! Was beginning to despair of ever signing anyone, but hopefully this is now the start of a few more new faces ..... COYB!
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Sniegster added 16:21 - Jun 10 CHOP-TASTIC!!!!!!!!!!! Really good signing. Things are looking up!!! In my humble opinion, I have felt we have been weak up front for a long, long, long, time. Probably not since Bent & Stewart. We have needed the kind of striker that you know one on one with the keeper will score, who knows where the goal is and has the confidence to hit the ball into the net. That's kinda what strikers are meant to do! Really believe PJ knows exactly what he is doing. He tried to rush all the changes through all at once at Derby at it failed. He has taken his time here, and I think it will work. COYB!!!!!

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CleggsClangers added 16:21 - Jun 10 At last!! Perhaps things are on the up now? Keep them coming PJ
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pitseablue added 16:22 - Jun 10 This is a great move by the club. Worth the wait! Onward and upward! COYB!
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bluehimmel added 16:22 - Jun 10 @ whoppit ... and you know that as fact? are you not showing signs of biopolar yourself?
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SamWhiteUK added 16:24 - Jun 10 HALLELUJAH!!!
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Reuser31 added 16:24 - Jun 10 Great news, bloody good signing :)
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Matteo_Sereni added 16:26 - Jun 10 Brilliant news...at last the curse of Clegg has been lifted...lucky he was on holiday! Biggest signing since matteo sereni himself! Chopra is our 20 goal a season man!
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