DAVID CUFFLEY Striker Luke Varney today revealed he had turned down Norwich City in opting for a £2.5m transfer to Charlton Athletic.

DAVID CUFFLEY

Striker Luke Varney today revealed he had turned down Norwich City in opting for a £2.5m transfer to Charlton Athletic.

Crewe Alexandra marksman Varney completed his move to The Valley yesterday, but reports in the Midlands claim the Canaries had matched the Gresty Road club's valuation of the player.

The 24-year-old reckoned, however, that Norwich were not "in the same bracket" as the London club.

Varney, who scored 25 times for Crewe last season, signed a four-year contract with Charlton and moves for a basic fee of £2m, but the deal could be worth more than £2.5m after appearance bonuses and a sell-on clause.

Explaining his choice, Varney said: "Alan Pardew told me their aim was to go straight back up, which accords with my ambition to play in the Premier League.

"I could have left it until later in the summer, but I felt this was the best move for me. Norwich were in for me as well, but I didn't think they were in the same bracket as Charlton.

"I owe Crewe a great deal, and hopefully I've gone some way to paying them back for all they have done for me with the transfer fee."

Pardew said: "We've beaten off stiff competition from both Championship and Premiership clubs to sign Luke, so I'd like to thank the board for backing my judgement."

Charlton further strengthened their attacking firepower yesterday by signing Colchester striker Chris Iwelumo on a free transfer.

If City manager Peter Grant has missed out on Varney, he is expected to recruit at least one new face from Crewe this week, with full-back Jon Otsemobor on his way for Norwich to complete a medical, according to his agent.