Why Norwich City should keep hold of Teemu Pukki amidst interest

According to Foto Spor (h/t The Pink Un), Besiktas are interested in signing Norwich City talisman Teemu Pukki in the summer.

Pukki, 30, came through the ranks of FC KooTeePee in his homeland and played for clubs like Sevilla and Schalke before joining Celtic in August 2013. However, he failed to establish himself in the Scottish League and was sent on loan to Brondby, where he regained his form and since then, he has been in his best form.

He came to prominence with a move to Norwich in the summer of 2018 and was instrumental in helping the Canaries get promoted to the top-flight at the end of last season. In his debut season in the Premier League, the Finnish forward did well despite his club’s poor campaign.

He was one of the brightest spots in Norwich’s abysmal campaign this term and thus, they should keep hold of him for a few more years, at least until the end of the 2022 season, when his contract comes to an end at Carrow Road.

Pukki can guarantee Norwich the goals

The Canaries have been relegated to the Championship after an unsuccessful 2019/20 campaign in the top-flight. And one of the major reasons for their downfall is the lack of consistency in front of goal. Daniel Farke’s men have managed to score just 27 goals in the Premier League, which is the lowest this season.

And Pukki has managed to contribute with 11 goals out of the team’s total of 26. Youngster Todd Cantwell scored 6 goals and apart from them, no one has contributed enough. The other centre-forward in the squad, Josip Drmic has found the back of the net only once in 21 games so far. And this has cost them their top-flight status.

However, with the Canaries back to the second-tier, the manager should shift his focus to the next season and must bring the best out of his players if they are to do well and aim for a return to the top-flight. While bringing in key reinforcements, he must also make sure to keep hold of his best players and Pukki is someone who can make a difference.

The 30-year-old striker was instrumental last season, where he banged in 29 goals in the Championship and still looks to be going strong. His presence could guarantee them with goals as he has been consistently delivering in the last few years. And given Drmic’s ineffectiveness, keeping hold of an experienced campaigner in Pukki would be a wise decision by the club.

Read more

• Why Przemyslaw Placheta to Norwich City would bolster their attack
• Why Norwich City should keep hold of Emiliano Buendia amidst interest

Verdict

Despite being 30, Pukki has been one of the consistent performers for the Canaries. He has been their main striker and is the only player who can provide them with the much-needed goals next season in their pursuit of PL promotion, given the lack of support from the rest of the team. Thus, Norwich should block any exit for the Finland star and keep him for their promotion chase next season.