Sunderland agree £5m Chopra deal

[Nikki]

Sunderland have agreed a £5m deal for Cardiff City striker Michael Chopra.
The 23-year-old former Newcastle star scored 22 goals for Cardiff in the Championship last season and now looks set to return to the north-east.

Cardiff boss Dave Jones told the South Wales Echo: "I am sorry to see him go, everybody in the camp is. But there is a price for every player."

Reports said Chopra had left Cardiff's training camp in Portugal, although the club insisted he is still there.

Cardiff boss Jones added: "The money could go on to make us stronger.

"This is good business for us and after all, we are in a business. And for Michael it means Premiership football - we cannot stop him. We wish him all the best with Sunderland."

Cardiff chairman Peter Ridsdale revealed that they had turned down an unnamed offer from an unnamed club.

But Keane has met the asking price for Chopra, who joined Cardiff for less than £500,000 in June 2006, after missing out on David Nugent, who is joining Portsmouth.

Keane agreed a £6m deal with Preston for Nugent, and Chopra's goal record compared favourably to the England striker's last season.

BBC Wales understands Chopra has a release clause in his contract allowing him to speak to any club offering £5m - now the Geordie must weigh up whether to move back to the Premiership with the old enemy.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...nd/6291244.stm

[webslinger2k]

lol....Benayoun was a steal...

[Northernbloke]

Wonder if Mr Keane cares what the last premiership goal Chopra scored was

In case anyone's wondering it was for NEWCASTLE against Sunderland

[DB]

lol....Benayoun was a steal...

What has that got to do with Sunderland signing Chopra?


and its not a steal if you look at other midfielders in the premiership, he only scored 3 goals last season? hardly a lampard, ronaldo, etc £4 mill looks about right.

[Mobileman]

they be taking the black & white shirts next DB

Will probably do well at Sunderland unfortunately

[DB]

If you base his age and price on the other championship strikers its good business, mind you i think £5 mill is 2 mill too much.

Jamie Cureton Colchester United 24 Cost ? 31 yrs old
Michael Chopra Cardiff City 22 Cost £5 million 23 yrs old
Diomansy Kamara West Bromwich Albion 20 Cost £6 million 27 years old
Grzegorz Rasiak Southampton 18 Cost ? 28 years old
Robert Earnshaw Norwich City 19 Cost 3.5 million 26 years old
Chris Iwelumo Colchester United 18 Cost ? 29 yrs old
Kevin Phillips West Bromwich Albion 15 Cost free transfer? 34 yrs old
Steven Howard Derby County 16 Cost ? 31 yrs old
Alan Lee Ipswich Town 17 Cost? 31 yrs old
Gary McSheffrey* Birmingham City 17 Cost £5 million 25 years old
David Nugent Preston North End 15 Cost £6.5 million 22 years old

only chopra and nugent under 25 yrs old.

EDIT: according to The Daily Mail its 3.5 we've paid, if thats correct is very good business indeed.
Even though he is ex scum

If he scores against your mob at sid james that his entire fee paid back lol

[WalterPill]

If you base his age and price on the other championship strikers its good business, mind you i think £5 mill is 2 mill too much.

Jamie Cureton Colchester United 24 Cost ? 31 yrs old
Michael Chopra Cardiff City 22 Cost £5 million 23 yrs old
Diomansy Kamara West Bromwich Albion 20 Cost £6 million 27 years old
Grzegorz Rasiak Southampton 18 Cost ? 28 years old
Robert Earnshaw Norwich City 19 Cost 3.5 million 26 years old
Chris Iwelumo Colchester United 18 Cost ? 29 yrs old
Kevin Phillips West Bromwich Albion 15 Cost free transfer? 34 yrs old
Steven Howard Derby County 16 Cost ? 31 yrs old
Alan Lee Ipswich Town 17 Cost? 31 yrs old
Gary McSheffrey* Birmingham City 17 Cost £5 million 25 years old
David Nugent Preston North End 15 Cost £6.5 million 22 years old

only chopra and nugent under 25 yrs old.

EDIT: according to The Daily Mail its 3.5 we've paid, if thats correct is very good business indeed.
Even though he is ex scum

If he scores against your mob at sid james that his entire fee paid back lol

He had to have cost £5m because that was the figure stipulated in the clause in his contract whereby, if that figure was offered, he was allowed to speak to other clubs. It actually strikes me as somewhat of a panic buy on Sunderland's part after Nugent chose to fuck you off. I'm not convinced he'll score a great deal in the Prem. He's definitely a good championship striker and his workrate and movement help the midfield a great deal but the top division's bar is raised that much higher fitness-wise so I'm sure he'll have to curtail his natural play. At Cardiff very few other players were scoring so everything went through him as well, I'm not sure he'd be that prolific at a club that had other scoring options though I suppose that's not really a bad thing.

He's not very big either by the way and strikers of a smaller stature tend to struggle unless they have first class finishing and excellent dribbling skills, first touch and speed. Chopra isn't entirely blessed with any of those. He's just a terrier with a good sense of anticipation and awareness and a good eye for goal.

We'll miss him more than he helps Sunderland in my estimation. It's just a pity Sunderland's attention was turned to him now as opposed to a month ago so we could have outbid Wolves for that free-scoring peg-seller Freddy Eastwood. Chopra should have seen another season in the Championship before stepping up. He'll give a 100% but I fear he'll fall just short in the premiership.

[j80tdb]

db your wrong on this one.

you must have read the smb. im absolutly gutted.

by the way good value???

went to cardiff last year for 500,000 after refusing to join us.

BARGAIN!

[karlos130]

He will do a Clarky and be seen out with a Sad mackam Bastards t-Shirt on LOL

[DB]

It actually strikes me as somewhat of a panic buy on Sunderland's part after Nugent chose to fuck you off.

Keane fucked nugent off mate, even harry said that on SSN.

It was obvious that nugent was stalling because he wanted everton in for him, Keane had already stated he only wanted players who wanted to play for the club, so he pulled the plug before nugent got back from his hols.

Hardly a panic buy when you see that he scored more goals (in a much poorer side) this season than nugent, and cost less than nugent.

Apparently its 3.5 mill which could rise to 5 mill

Keano isnt finished in the market mate, watch this space.

[DB]

He will do a Clarky and be seen out with a Sad mackam Bastards t-Shirt on LOL

Mate when he scores against your gypsys i'll piss meself

[WalterPill]

Keane fucked nugent off mate, even harry said that on SSN.

It was obvious that nugent was stalling because he wanted everton in for him, Keane had already stated he only wanted players who wanted to play for the club, so he pulled the plug before nugent got back from his hols.

Hardly a panic buy when you see that he scored more goals (in a much poorer side) this season than nugent, and cost less than nugent.

Apparently its 3.5 mill which could rise to 5 mill

Keano isnt finished in the market mate, watch this space.

Yeah, that's kind of what I meant regarding Nugent, he patently wanted to go to another club, it was Keane who ultimately decided against pursuing him but that was as you know due to Nugent's blatanmt indifference to a move to the SOL. I think Nugent looks a better bet than Chopra to do well in the premiership though regardless of Chopra's better scoring record for a slightly inferior side with a better disciplinary record and a bigger squad.

I hope he does well for Sunderland, he's patently a nice bloke and a very committed player who wasn't really given a fair crack of the whip at Newcastle.

[LFC Muppet]

Yeah, that's kind of what I meant regarding Nugent, he patently wanted to go to another club, it was Keane who ultimately decided against pursuing him but that was as you know due to Nugent's blatanmt indifference to a move to the SOL. I think Nugent looks a better bet than Chopra to do well in the premiership though regardless of Chopra's better scoring record for a slightly inferior side with a better disciplinary record and a bigger squad.

I hope he does well for Sunderland, he's patently a nice bloke and a very committed player who wasn't really given a fair crack of the whip at Newcastle.

Will he want to play for them though, that is the question.

Obviously Chris Baird didn't as he has just signed for Fulham, another to turn his back on SOL.

[WalterPill]

Will he want to play for them though, that is the question.

Obviously Chris Baird didn't as he has just signed for Fulham, another to turn his back on SOL.

Yeah I know, he's not a certainty to sign but I can't see him turning the chance down. His dream has always been to return to Newcastle at some point but I'm sure he appreciates that there's little chance of that if he turns out to be a success or for that matter a failure for Sunderland. Unless he's stupid he'll sign, if he doesn't perform as well in the Championship next season it's not a definite that he'll ever get the same opportunity again and he has to think of his future.

I'd like us to sign Healy from Leeds now that they've gone down but I think he fancies a move north of the border. Our new signing McLean's got a gtood scoring record in the SPL so hopefully he can step in and take up the 20+ goal challenge. Fuck knows, it's a shame from our perspective though, he was becoming a big favourite of ours at Ninian Park.

[DB]

Will he want to play for them though, that is the question.

Obviously Chris Baird didn't as he has just signed for Fulham, another to turn his back on SOL.

Baird is the first player to turn down Sunderland mate.

Dont believe everything you read in the daily star

Im fuckin glad he didnt sign, i think we have taken enough championship players, we are also linked with mcshane, another i would prefer us not to buy.

[Snotty]

I find it utterly bemusing that he chose Fulham, a much smaller club over Sunderland.

Must have been offered more money/really wanted to stay in the south of England.

I refuse to believe the 'he wanted to work with Lawrie Sanchez' nonsense.

[LFC Muppet]

Baird is the first player to turn down Sunderland mate.

Dont believe everything you read in the daily star

Im fuckin glad he didnt sign, i think we have taken enough championship players, we are also linked with mcshane, another i would prefer us not to buy.

Sorry, didn't mean turn down in that way, Nugent stalled on the offer of Sunderland, I think lots of players don't know the passion that lives at the Stadium of Light and the drive that Keane has.

I really hope they do well this season and eclipse what has happened over the river.

[DB]

Ahh i was just saying the papers have made it look like loads of players have knocked us back and according to keane at the press conference the other day, no one had turned us down. Baird now is the first, according to a source Sunderland never spoke to baird, we had a £3 mill offer turned down, fulham came in with a little more and it was accepted??
greedy cunts lol.

[toonarmynufc]

i hope chorpa does well hes a good player.i just hope the £5m price tag on his shoulders doesnt affect has game .good luck .

[DB]

i hope chorpa does well hes a good player.i just hope the £5m price tag on his shoulders doesnt affect has game .good luck .

I hope the price tag gets reduced