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

coco_the_clown added 17:34 - Jun 10 Isn't here a picture of Cleggie wearing his unlucky signing tie or has PJ binned it?
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ITFC4daprem added 17:39 - Jun 10 finaly less than priskin
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Legend added 17:42 - Jun 10 Happy days!! Phew i thought the deal would never get done. Hats off and well done to all those involved in getting the deal done. COYB!
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budgie_beater added 17:46 - Jun 10 pitch looking good ;)
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NoCanariesAllowed added 17:53 - Jun 10 I bet Phil wishes the club hadn't let go of Reggie Lambe now - there was a headline writer's dream in the making here...(!)
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Crock added 17:59 - Jun 10 We're selling Wickham then?
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marcusevans added 18:00 - Jun 10 I hear ME is opening a new chain of bookmakers. The first one is in Ipswich. Should get the Chopra outlay back in double quick time!
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HolbrookBlue added 18:01 - Jun 10 It has been a wait and loads of speculation but worth it for this quality of player. Who is next?
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fourth added 18:12 - Jun 10 Chopra has huge potential, having had a difficult season He now needs to get fit....and if so...what a good addition.
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Lovetown added 18:18 - Jun 10 OMG is this true?!?! I cant.... cant believe my eyes! We ITFC have sighned a great player a STRIKER!!! wow well done PJ!!!! Keane would of never av closed that deal! And its the 10th of june!!! Amazing! WELL DONE PAUL JEWELL!!! Lets just hope he performs next season! Well done!! go on ITFC!!!!!!!!!!!!
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grumpyoldman added 18:22 - Jun 10 When are we going to sign somebody not connected with Sunderland, Keane's influence still at PR. Only joking! Great news
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gypo added 18:28 - Jun 10 i`ve just had a man wee. welcome chops
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s6blue added 18:31 - Jun 10 superb welcome chops
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bluetoba added 18:37 - Jun 10 Champion!
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juniorblue added 18:43 - Jun 10 Excellent 1st signing. Welcome Michael! Feel positive about the new season. Come on Town!!!
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Sindre94 added 18:49 - Jun 10 NICEEEE
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raydean added 18:50 - Jun 10 Pitch does look good! lets hope the football looks just as good next season!
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TRUEBLUE1974 added 18:56 - Jun 10 this is brillant signing just shows how far we have come under jewell come on the blues , lets have some more of this clegg come on
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Handsome_Lizard added 19:01 - Jun 10 This shows ambition and he may improve Scotland as a front two. COYB.
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GTRKing added 19:03 - Jun 10 Has Carson Left or is he still at ipswich
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reuser90 added 19:06 - Jun 10 Great news!! we now need at least a decent centre back, a full back and someone to supply the ammo!!!
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GTRKing added 19:11 - Jun 10 why do we need another new striker we got carson wickham chopra & scotland
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Basil_Smallpiece added 19:12 - Jun 10 Non-scoring oddball, this one. Desperate Jewell.
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broomfield123 added 19:15 - Jun 10 now peaple calm down a bit.we have a good player for a good price.let the lad get settled in the area and pre season and look forward to our next signing or 2
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Daleyitfc added 19:21 - Jun 10 Hope it's pay as you play with his awful recent injury record. And his goalscoring figures aren't THAT great : decent strikers score one goal every two games, minimum.
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