Chopra Warns of Cardiff Exit

Ipswich Town are likely to be keeping a close eye on developments at the Cardiff City Stadium after star striker Michael Chopra launched a bitter attack on the club over its failure to stabilise its finances and build for a promotion push next season.

Widespread reports of Roy Keane’s interest in being reunited with the former Sunderland striker at Portman Road have rattled on all summer. Cardiff had reassured their fans that there would be no need to sell their top players in order to combat recent financial difficulties, but the latest comments from Chopra suggest that they may not have any choice.

Despite a takeover this summer, Cardiff find themselves under a transfer embargo which has prevented them developing their squad at all since reaching the playoff final last season. The situation has clearly rattled Chopra, who slammed the new board for failing to move the club forward and predicted a struggle in the forthcoming season if the lack of progress continues.

Reflecting upon his ambitions and the news of the embargo, Chopra told the Western Mail: ‘I’m happy playing for Cardiff, but I’ll be off if this continues.’

Though it sounds clear that the 26-year-old would prefer to stay with the playoff finalists, he could be prised away if a club with stability and ambition were to offer him greater promise of success. However, whether Town really have what it takes to deliver such success this season is still under question.

The news will no doubt spark rumours that Ipswich’s efforts to team Chopra up with the likes of Connor Wickham could be renewed after a dampening of speculation surrounding the striker over the last few weeks following suggestions that he was happy to stay put. The prospect is no doubt an exciting one with the Bluebirds hitman having netted 18 times in the Championship last season and with Wickham looking to develop upon an impressive breakthrough campaign, but concerns could be aired over Chopra’s loyalties given the latest outburst.

There is also the issue of the transfer fee – reports over the summer have suggested that Town have made bids of up to £3.5m so far though there has never been any confirmation of this. It would however be something of a surprise if Cardiff were to allow him to leave for anything less than the record-breaking £4m transfer fee which they paid for him last year. It would in truth be a big surprise for Ipswich to pull off such a coup, but perhaps this is what it will take to see us become genuine Championship promotion contenders.

What do you make of Chopra’s comments? A tactic to secure his future and hurry progress at Cardiff, or the best indication yet that he would be prepared to join a club like Town? Do you think Chopra is the right man for the Blues, or is the asking price just too high? Sign up and give us your views using the comment box below or by posting on the forums.