Teemu Pukki, 32, still lives on goals. With them, he can lead the Huuhkajas towards the Games and at the same time guarantee himself another top contract.
Teemu Pukki may be in Manchester United’s sights.
In January, the speculations of British tabloids rattled the backs of Finnish football romantics. Really? Could it really be?
Now a couple of months later, Puk has a familiar grin on his face.
– It’s nice that my name is associated with different clubs. I read about it online, but there was hardly any real interest in Manchester. I knew there wouldn’t be any transfer in January, the Norwich goalkeeper smiles.
Seeing Puki’s name in the headlines of the transfer window certainly didn’t come as a surprise to him either. The contract with Norwich ends after this season in the summer.
And the new note has not been signed.
– I will not make decisions before the summer. Of course, I am aware that the decision time is getting closer, but it is not even on my mind every day.
It hits when it hits
Teemu Pukki is still an effective goalscorer, even though Norwich’s season has been fluctuating. Jussi Eskola
A continuation in Norwich is hardly out of the question. At the moment, however, it seems the most unlikely option. The current season has been difficult for the team.
The Finn, who played 200 matches in the Canaries shirt, has left an eternal mark on the hearts of the people of Norfolk. In the summer, it could be good to continue the journey forward.
Another season in a row in the Championship would not serve him well. Pukki is still capable of being an effective striker at the highest league level.
Norwich, which is only seventh in the championship series, has fluctuated throughout the season. Despite that, Pukki has scored 10 goals and assisted seven hits.
Fbref website in light of the expected goals, Puki could have one more hit. Pukki therefore delivers the ball to the goal when a place is given to him. Huhkaji’s all-time scoring streak lives on from runs tearing up the opponent’s bottom line and passes played behind the line.
The previous hit from the Championship is from mid-January. On the national team’s journey, Pukki tries to lead Finland towards the European Championship final tournament, but at the same time he is already showing signs for next season.
A goal or two against rock-hard Denmark would be a top performance.
– In Huuhkaj, I’ve gotten a good feeling about playing in the past, if it’s been more difficult in the club team. Hopefully this will give me a boost for the rest of the season.
– The season has been difficult, and I haven’t scored as many goals as I would have hoped for myself. At the same time, this has been a very different championship season compared to our previous ones. When a team is relegated from the Premier League, it is expected to immediately fight for promotion back there, says Pukki.
To whom or someone else?
Teemu Pukki hopes to get a boost from the EC qualifiers for the rest of the season. Jussi Eskola
It would be a big surprise if the best Finnish goalscorer in the EC qualifiers was someone other than Teemu Pukki.
The head coach Markku in Kanerva however, there is enough to scratch even before the opening game in Denmark. Will Finland play with two center forwards or will the 4–3–3 formation seen in the Nations League be used in the attacking phase?
The top couple in yet another summer European Championship Joel Pohjanpalo– Teemu Pukki was set in stone, but the situation has changed since then. The joint play between Pohjanpalo and Puki has not worked as expected, despite the efforts.
Power has been extracted from Puki and the entire Huuhkaji, when attackers with more running power and better pressing skills have played next to Puki. Benjamin Källman and Oliver Antman loaded hard screens in the League of Nations.
The 32-year-old Puki needs to get the best out of him now before it’s too late. It may even be that the last tournament qualifiers of the Kotka player’s career will start on Thursday.
Teemu Puki’s smile was tender before the match against Denmark. The big question is who Markku Kanerva will put next to him in the starting line-up. Jussi Eskola
– I can’t say about that yet. Hopefully we can clear these up so that we go to the Games. After that, of course, there is a longer gap until the next qualifiers.
– I don’t know how long my career will continue, but still coming to the national team is as cool as ever, he feels.
What would be cooler than repeating the victory in Denmark at a packed Parken – or completing the first career final tournament goal in Germany in the summer of 2024.
– The goal is clear: let’s go to the Games again, Pukki says.