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

joshuanelli added 16:27 - Jun 10 I'm delighted to welcome an instant cult hero to Portman Road, Michael Chopra!! We've finally got our man!! COYBs!!
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ITFC1983 added 16:28 - Jun 10 Good, finally something for us fans to be pleased about! We just need to sign the other 7 players, but this shows our intent! COYB
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SuffolkBlue88 added 16:29 - Jun 10 @PhilTWTD - there is a picture up on the ITFC website (in case you haven't seen it). Thanks for the update!
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HighgateBlue added 16:30 - Jun 10 credit to Jewell, credit to Clegg, credit to Evans. Great signing!
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Upbeat~ added 16:30 - Jun 10 How many goals has he scored recently? Wouldn't even be in my top 10 tbh - and the slump towards mediocrity continues..
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oH_bluey added 16:30 - Jun 10 Stating ambition, also shows how players want to play under PJ and not Keane.
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Crazee added 16:32 - Jun 10 Thank goodness for that!!!!! What a lovely day after all - but sometimes supporting our wonderful club can be a real trial Welcome to Portman Road Mr Chopra, I hope your stay is successful for us all
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arc added 16:32 - Jun 10 Not convinced. But I hope to be soon (of course).
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dirtyboy added 16:33 - Jun 10 Let's hope he does the job we all know he's capable of. Good stuff.
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willmister added 16:33 - Jun 10 Yyyyyyyyyeeeeeeessssss!!!!!!!!!!!
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MonterreyBlue added 16:34 - Jun 10 Wickham and Chopra = The New Johnson and Stewart....! We have waited a long time for such an exciting strike force, needs backing up with 1 / 2 other strikers plus some creativity to put it on a plate for them. A big step in the right direction, obviously more signings needed but well done to the Club for doing the business.
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theblueginger added 16:34 - Jun 10 One very decent signing done, half a dozen more to come (hopefully) Shows you how quickly a player that wants to join can agree to sign
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Upbeat~ added 16:34 - Jun 10 Lol-jokes.. YAY
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itfcbam added 16:38 - Jun 10 Clegg can do the deal??? Yet he was away from the club, does that mean someone else did the deal? Might explain why it has happened so quick! Whoever did well done!
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village_blue added 16:39 - Jun 10 Great signing welcome aboard Chops.Now lets move Scotland on.
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RedDust added 16:41 - Jun 10 Suffolk blue... phil's probably not using it because chopra's been given the old stripey home kit to hold up... good one!
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Azza84 added 16:41 - Jun 10 GET IN MY SON KP CONNOR AND GOALS HERE WE COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! COYB!!!!!!!!!!!
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TractorBeezer added 16:42 - Jun 10 Great news. Now let's give Whoppit a free transfer to the Scum
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homer1973 added 16:43 - Jun 10 Awesome news great signing
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OliverStorey added 16:44 - Jun 10 Absolutely magnificent signing! COYB!
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das_bones added 16:44 - Jun 10 Great buy for 1.5mill considering it was 4mil last year. wot a difference a manager makes!!!!! COYB
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suffolkpoker added 16:45 - Jun 10 Well played Jewell, Clegg + the board for making this happen :) Boy did we need this with all the doom and gloom that was going around. Great signing and a even better price.... Love it!! :)
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CleggsClangers added 16:45 - Jun 10 We've landed a quality player and with a few more additions 2011/12 looks a lot brighter. Well done ITFC for showing us your intent :)
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jas0999 added 16:45 - Jun 10 VERY good news and an excellent signing. Targeted by Roy Keane last year, looks like we have benefited from Chopra only have a year left on his Cardiff contract. Indeed this is the type of signing which will hopefully excite the fans. Well done to all concerned and best of luck to Michael.
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MartinS added 16:45 - Jun 10 Good signing as long as he can get a few pounds off and show the enthusiasm and desire to succeed. Interested to see who follows.
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