Ipswich Town Bid £3m For Cardiff City Chopra

Cardiff City striker Michael Chopra is the subject of an initial £3m bid from fellow Championship side Ipswich Town who are looking to bolster their striking ranks with the Bluebirds 2nd top scorer.

Chopra was simply excellent during the 3-2 Wembley defeat against Blackpool, but has enjoyed an inconsistent season on the whole. After a blistering start, Chopra faded during mid-season before returning to fire some crucial goals during the run-in including a satisfying double against Swansea City and two neat low finishes against Leicester and Blackpool in the play-offs.

Ipswich manager Roy Keane was Sunderland boss when Chops left for £5m prior to the 2007/08 season. He didn’t get a full shot at the Premiership, but did do enough to impress Keane – who is now keen to make him a Tractor Boy. The two had a good relationship, and Chopra looked to his former boss for advice after being frozen out by Keane’s replacement Ricky Sbragia and suffering personal problems.

Cardiff City face a close season of re-building, the extent of which will be decided by new Malaysian investors including Vincent Tan and TG. There will be sales, that much is inherently necessary and acceptable to Bluebirds fans. The most saleable assets are also known with Whittingham, Bothroyd and Adam Matthews joining Chopra in attracting interest elsewhere. The club will also be tasked with identifying a replacement for influential midfielder Joe Ledley – who is out of contract.

Keeping some of the current top players is surely essential for Cardiff City. While a valid arguement could be made for selling Chopra due to high high wages and Ross McCormack’s availability as a replacement- Chopra is irreplaceable at this level and should not be looking at Ipswich as a better option.

If Chopra is to leave, a fee closer to the £5m must surely be a demanded by the Bluebirds – anything less would indicate a fire-sale and set us back a long way.