Canaries’ Flying Finn Pukki Struggles to Make an Impact at Euro 2020
Norwich City’s talismanic figure Teemu Pukki has flattered to deceive so far in the Euro 2020 championships.
After a five-week layoff due to an ankle problem, the 31-year-old insists he is very much over the injury now. In his country’s first game against Denmark – which was overshadowed by Christian Eriksen’s collapse – Pukki ran out of steam and had to be substituted. The Finns have been unsurprisingly usurped in Group B by Belgium, with Roberto Martinez’ men winning their first two games to inch up the ladder as the bookmakers’ favourites to win Euro 2020 outright. With knockout qualification already assured, Belgium are priced as short as 13/2 with bet365 to win the tournament. It’s possible for new bet365 customers to secure free bet credits when signing up through oddschecker during Euro 2020.
Amid the uncertainty surrounding whether or not the game would go ahead, Pukki’s Finland managed to secure a narrow 1-0 victory in the restarted contest. Pukki was barely at the races against the Danes and had to request to be replaced with half-an-hour remaining at Copenhagen’s Parken. Pukki fared a little better in Finland’s 1-0 loss to Russia, but he was still substituted for a second game running in St Petersburg.
Pukki has been a revelation in the Finnish national team in recent seasons, coinciding with his impressive domestic form for both Brondby and Norwich. He has led the line superbly, with his 2019 record the most outstanding of all, notching ten goals in ten international appearances. As the focal point of the Finnish attack, Finns will have been bitterly disappointed to see Pukki sustain ankle ligament damage in City’s 4-1 win over Reading which secured the 2020/21 EFL Championship title.
That injury meant that Pukki was able to take part in just half-an-hour of competitive action in a Finland jersey during their pre-Euro 2020 friendlies. In a recent interview with Finnish broadcaster Svenska Yle, Pukki admitted he feared his Euro 2020 place was in jeopardy after the ankle problem. Although the national team’s physio Jari-Pekka Keurulainen allayed those concerns at the start of the close season. Pukki said Keurulainen “promised” that he would “be fine for this race”. It’s a race that Pukki said had been “the biggest dream” of his professional career to date.
With Pukki not yet 100% fit and misfiring, Finland are distinctly lacking in the final third. They have only 26-year-old Joel Pohjanpalo with any real senior experience in their ranks. However, Pohjanpalo has scored just ten goals in 44 appearances for the national side. He does have top-flight experience in the Bundesliga, however, so will be pushing Pukki hard for a starting berth if qualification for the knockout stages is achieved.
Is Pukki’s starting berth at Carrow Road also at risk?
There can be no doubting the immense impact that the ‘Flying Finn’ has made on Norwich City since joining on a free transfer from Danish football to little fanfare. 66 goals in 120 first team appearances for the Canaries have made him a genuine one-in-two striker. However, Norwich appear to be looking to pep up their forward line for life back in the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers’ £15m-rated striker Adam Armstrong thought to be under serious consideration. It may not be headline-making transfer news, but it could have serious consequences for Pukki.
The former Newcastle United academy graduate has become an impressive goal poacher at second-tier level under the guidance of Rovers boss Tony Mowbray. After 28 goals in 40 Championship appearances in the 2020/21 campaign, Blackburn could be prepared to cash in on their asset after failing to push for promotion themselves. Armstrong also has just 12 months remaining on his current contract.
At the age of 24, Armstrong would be viewed as a medium-term replacement for Pukki, with the Finn now the wrong side of 30. From a business perspective, Pukki’s resale value will only diminish. His current deal in Norfolk is due to expire in 2022, although the Canaries do have an option for an additional year. City’s coffers have been boosted by the sale of playmaker Emi Buendia to Aston Villa, so £15 million is a fee that Norwich would no longer baulk at for Armstrong, a player who can offer searing pace and a work ethic to rival Pukki’s.
