New Blues signing Anis Mehmeti says he wants to help Town win automatic promotion, ideally by winning the division.

The 25-year-old joined the club for an initial £3 million from Bristol City this morning, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal.

“I’m delighted, grateful to be here and I can’t wait to get going,” The London-born Albania international told TownTV.

While the move eventually happened very quickly over the last few days, the one-time Wycombe Wanderers man revealed discussions had been ongoing in the background for some time.

“January moves are always quite hectic, but this has been there for quite a while now,” he said. “I spoke to the boss and the club speaks for itself, a humungous club with real high ambition and I think it aligns with my values and what I want to achieve in my career, so, for me, it was a no brainer.

“I’ve just turned 25, so in my eyes, I’m coming into my prime years. I’ve learnt a lot over the years and now I think I’m ready to go to the next level.”

He added: “I know this is the right club for me. I know this is the perfect fit for me, so I just can't wait to get going.”

Reflecting on his time with Bristol City, for whom he made 95 starts and 41 sub appearances, scoring 26 goals, he said: “I feel like I’ve come a long way in these three years and I think I’m ready to help the boys here reach where we want to get to and kick on from there.”

He believes joining Town is moving him closer to playing top-flight football: “Exactly that. In football, there are ups and downs, it wasn't always pretty at Bristol City, but I guess that’s football and there’s always highs and lows.

“I have nothing but respect for them and owe them gratitude because they allowed me to showcase my ability. I’m just raring to go and I’m delighted to be here.”

He says he spoke to former Blues skipper Sam Morsy, who joined the Robins earlier in the month, with the Egyptian international selling Town to him.

“Non-stop, non-stop,” he smiled. “He’s a legend on a club and everyone knows what type of human being he is, not only a top footballer.

“Me and him, we spoke hard over the last few weeks about how this can be such a great, great step for my career and he’s buzzing for me because he thinks this is the right fit for me.”

Mehmeti’s last game for Bristol City was at Portman Road on Tuesday, which admits was a strange experience.

“A bit weird, because you know in the back of your mind you could be coming here,” he continued.

“So, a weird feeling, but also exciting, because it’s something I’ve looked forward to, I’ve wanted to get it done and now that I’m here, I can't wait to get started.”

Mehmeti, who was with Fulham, Tottenham and Norwich as a young player before dropping into non-league with Woodford Town prior to his spell with the Chairboys, was impressed by what manager Kieran McKenna had to say to him but also what people said about his new boss.

“Not just conversations I’ve had with him, everyone speaks highly of him, everyone knows that he’s a world class manager,” he added.

“Just his his drive and his ambitions, I think they’re aligned with my values and how I want to constantly improve and get better every day.

“For me, this was a no-brainer, not just the manager, but the club’s stature and I think the club speaks for itself.

“Every time I’ve played against Ipswich Town the fans are rocking, so I can't wait to be playing at Portman Road.”

Reflecting on his aims for the season, he said: “I think everybody knows the ambitions and where we want to get to this year. Personally, I know it’s getting promoted, getting automatics, winning the league.

“That's why I’m here, I’m here to help the team. Talking is done now, I just want to get on the pitch and do my bits.”

Quizzed on what fans can expect from him, he added: “I’m just a winner, I want to win games. I want to score goals, assist, help the team win. I like to say I’m exciting, hard-working and I just want to excite the fans. That's what I want to do.”

Photo: Matchday Images/ITFC