By IANS
London : Former Newcastle United striker Michael Chopra, the only player of Indian descent in English Premier League, returns to top flight football as Sunderland have agreed to a five-million pound deal for Cardiff City, BBC reports on its website Wednesday.
The 23-year-old former Newcastle star scored 22 goals for Cardiff last season in the lower division and now looks set to return nearer home to northeast England where he started his career.
Cardiff manager Dave Jones was quoted as saying: "I am sorry to see him go, everybody in the camp is. But there is a price for every player."
According to reports, Chopra had already left Cardiff's training camp in Portugal, although the club insisted the deal had not been signed just yet
"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," added Jones.
Chopra will now play under Sunderland manager Roy Keane, who met Cardiff's asking price for the striker. Chopra had joined Welsh club for less than 500,000 pounds in June 2006.
Chopra has a release clause in his contract allowing him to speak to any club offering five million pounds – now the former Newcastle player must weigh up whether to move back to the Premiership with the old cross town rivals.