02/02/2009 20:01:19 40 Media Wales robfreeman 03/02/2009 ECHO feb3 Tue

CHOPS
IS BACK
AGAIN
Sport
Six Nations: Has rose wilted?
Page 36
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By Mark Bloom
City sign fans favourite
with 55 seconds to spare
Price: 47p
0 6
9 7 7 1 4 7 9 2 3 0 7 2 4
SWE Feb 3 09 47p
CARDIFF City finally got their man
yesterday, bringing Michael Chopra
back to Ninian Park with 55
seconds tosparebeforethetransfer
window close.
Fans favourite Chopra who has
scored 27 goals in 55 Bluebirds
appearances returned for a third
Cardiff spell ina dramatic, last-ditch
3m deal last night.
And Bluebirds boss Dave Jones
believes Chopras arrival means
promotion-chasing City can now
mix it with the big boys of the
Championship.
Its a fantastic signing, declared
Jones, who can also celebrate hold-
ing onto Wales midfielder Joe Led-
ley. After the signings of Chris
Burke and Quincy (Owusu-Abeyie),
it gives metheoptions that Reading,
Sheffield United and Birmingham
have in the Championship.
We now have plenty of options
for that final push.
Its fantastic business for the
club and to buy Chops on a per-
manent basis shows how far this
club has come.
We have made a bit of money
from the FA Cup and we have spent
it, so supporters can obviously see
what we are doing here.
The chairman has worked hard
over the weeks to get the players in
that I wanted.
Although I wanted two (Hiber-
nian striker Steven Fletcher was
Jones other target) I am delighted
to get Chops and happy what I
have to work with now.
With five strikers Chopra,
Quincy, Jay Bothroyd, Ross Mc-
Cormack andEddie Johnson at his
disposal, Jones must now contend
with uncustomary selection dilem-
mas.
But he said: There is no head-
ache for me inchoosing the forward
line.
We have 11 games in four weeks
and its going to be absolute manic,
but at least I now have the depth to
change things around.
I can get away with the defence
and the midfield, but the key was
freshening up the forward line.
That is something I couldnt do
before when a forward was in-
jured.
Delighted City chairman Peter
Ridsdale said: I have given the
firepower that the manager tar-
geted at the start of January and
completed the Chopra deal with
just 55 seconds left on the clock.
People have questioned the
clubs ambitions and I hope this will
go some way to telling them what
we are trying to do with17 games of
the season left.
We have been working very hard
throughout this transfer window to
give ourselves every opportunity
for success this season.
Ive spoken to Michael and he is
obviously delighted as he was get-
ting frustrated by the lack of op-
portunity he was getting at Sun-
derlandandhe has a lot of friends at
Cardiff.
Chopras third spell at City is
initially on loan with the deal per-
manent deal agreed which will be-
gin in July.
Jones relaxed at fixture
pile-up: Pages 38&39
mark.bloom@mediawales.co.uk
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