MINNESOTA UNITED SIGN FORMER NORWICH CITY STRIKER TEEMU PUKKI
Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United have signed Finland international Teemu Pukki, the club announced this week.
Pukki joins as a full designated player on a two-year contract which keeps him in Saint Paul until June 30, 2025. The Finnish striker arrives from Norwich City as a free agent after being with the Canaries since 2018. Pukki’s five-year contract at the Norfolk-based club officially expires on June 30th.
One of the most clinical finishers in Norwich City’s recent history, Pukki leaves the club having scored an incredible 88 goals and provided 29 assists in 210 appearances for the club.
“I feel as though we have gotten that goalscorer we have been craving ever since Christian Ramirez left,” Head Coach Adrian Heath said. “He’s a gold standard, proven goalscorer… His goal scoring record in the Premier League, the Championship and the Finnish National Team speaks for itself… The fact is, he scores goals and I know that if we continue to create the opportunities we have this season he will no doubt be successful in this league.”
Minnesota has been deep in pursuit of a proven goalscorer and found a player who certainly fits the bill. Pukki has scored 176 goals for a variety of European clubs in his 16-year career, including 22 league goals over two Premier League seasons with Norwich City (2019/20 and 2021/22).
The 33-year-old is also Finland’s all-time top goalscorer and will bring some much needed finishing ability, veteran experience and leadership to Minnesota’s relatively youthful frontline. Pukki has found the back of the net a record 38 times in 112 caps for his national side and surpassed former Barcelona and Liverpool forward Jari Litmanen’s 32 goals in October 2021.
The two-time Norwich City Player of the Season’s biggest return in front of goal in his career, however, came during his first season in Norwich where he registered 30 goals in 46 games for the Yellows, winning the EFL Championship Golden Boot in the process. Pukki’s 29 goals in the Championship during the 2018/19 season guided Norwich to a sixth Championship title and automatically granted the team promotion to the Premier League.
United had been working to free up a Designated Player spot and sent Luis Amarilla to Mexican side Mazatlan this spring after not scoring in 742 minutes of open play this season. Pukki, meanwhile, is expected to hit the ground running coming off of a wealth of experience in some of Europe’s most competitive leagues.
Although previously linked to Turkish side Samsunspor, Pukki never wavered on the opportunity to play in the MLS and will now have a chance to come up against seven-time Ballon D’or winner, Lionel Messi, at least once this year. Messi moved to Inter Miami CF a few weeks ago, and has had a huge impact on the United States soccer market since his blockbuster move to the Fort Lauderdale-based team last month.
Pukki is expected to make a return to his native Finland at some point in the next few years and finish his playing career in his homeland but for now, the Finn is relishing a chance at playing the American game.
The news comes just a day after Norwich City confirmed the signing of talented 20-year-old goalkeeper Vicente Reyes from MLS side Atlanta United, clearly showing an increase in player mobility between both Europe and the United States.
Pukki now has a chance to play alongside fellow countryman Robin Lod at Minnesota United, something that has been a goal of Pukki’s for some time now. Lod is one of Pukki’s closest friends on the national team but is currently sidelined for a period of up to six months with a torn meniscus. The 30-year-old creative midfielder is still under contract in Minnesota through the 2025 season.
Pukki revealed in an interview a couple of years ago that he had tried multiple times to get Lod to come play in England but the move didn’t happen. “I have a really good connection with Lod,” said Pukki. “He’s given me loads of assists for the [Finland] national team. He’s a good player.”
Lod is Minnesota United’s all-time leading scorer in MLS history with 22 goals, and currently holds a record that Pukki, as a more natural and gifted striker than the Helsinki-born midfielder, will be keen to take away. With the addition of one of Europe’s best goal scoring threats over the past few years, Minnesota will look to the 2023 season in utter anticipation as the Loons add another Finn to the mix.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Ardfern. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.