A week ago, Norwich City revealed that their Finnish forward Teemu Pukki is leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of the season. Pucci joined Norwich City as a free agent in 2018, and after spending five years at the club, it’s easy to say that Norwich got their bargain.
During Puccini’s five-year spell at the Canaries, he made over 200 appearances and is now the fourth highest goal scorer in the club’s history. Counting all campaigns, Pucci has scored around 90 goals wearing the Canaries kit. This means that Pucci has registered 0.43 goals per game.
After five successful seasons, where the club managed to be promoted to the Premier League twice, Pucci has now confirmed that he will be leaving the club. Now it’s time for Pukki to think about his next destination, but where will he go? Let’s know who are the possible contenders
substitutes from the premier league
Speculation is rife about Pucci’s next destination, and the most likely options seem to be some of the lower-table teams in the Premier League. For example, Everton, Bournemouth, Wolverhampton and West Ham have all had trouble scoring goals this season. The downside for Pucci with these clubs is that he will most likely be their second choice forward. This is understandable as he is already 33 years old and past his prime.
Pucci could get his new club from one of the EFL Championship clubs that will be promoted to the Premier League next season. Teams such as Burnley, Sheffield United, Luton Town and other potentially promoted clubs may be in need of a proven goalscorer. The good thing for Pucci with these clubs is that he can get more first-team action than with the above mentioned clubs.
The final option for Pucci is to join a top-tier Premier League club that is in need of a backup striker. An example of this could be Manchester United, who need more options in their forward section. Weghorst is only on loan and is likely to leave the club after the season. Marshall has been injured a lot and is not available in most of the matches. They need to sign a top-tier striker, but they may also need a backup, which is a role Pucci could fit in perfectly. It is unlikely that Puqi will join a top-tier Premier League team, but never say never.
Of course, there is a lot of potential for Pucci in the Premier League. He has played there for two seasons and is more familiar with English football and culture. Puqi could be a potentially low-risk, high-reward option that doesn’t require a high salary or transfer fee but can still score goals from time to time.
other potential suitors
Even though, according to most sources, the most likely destination for Puccini is the Premier League, there are a few other possible contenders after that. Many teams from Italy, Germany
Greece, Turkey, Scotland and Finland compete for his signature. But where does he most likely go next, and what will his role be in the various leagues? Let’s take a look at the teams that are interested in signing him.
In the Bundesliga, SC Freiburg are interested in signing Pucci. They were serious after Pucci last summer and two years ago, but as they now sit 5th in the Bundesliga, they are likely to look at some better options. Another tempting option from Germany is Pukki’s previous club Schalke, who have shown interest in bringing him back as a free agent. Schalke could be relegated to Bundesliga 2 at the end of the season, which is why we think Pucci will not be interested in signing for the club.
There are rumors that Celtic, one of Puccini’s former clubs, are after his signature. He hasn’t enjoyed his most successful stint in the Scottish Premier League, but now he may have the chance to prove the doubters wrong and return to the club. Also, some sources are linking Pucci with a move to Aberdeen, but many doubt he will join his former rival.
Turkish giants Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş have all been inquisitive about Pucci’s availability during last season. These are not the most likely options for Puqi, but joining them will give him the chance to try his luck in some European campaigns. From Greece, PAOK has been the most likely team for Pukki. He will be the team’s first-choice striker, and if all goes well, he could get a chance to play European football.
What do betting experts think about the confirmed situation?
Since Pukki is from Finland, we asked what the Finnish betting experts at Vedonlontisivustoni.com think about his current situation and potential new club. The first thing he told was that he could not see Pukki coming back to Finland. According to him, the other unlikely option is for Pucci to retire. This is understandable as Puqi said on Norwich City’s official website that he still has a few years left in him.
According to Finnish betting experts, the most likely option for Pukki is to try his wings in some completely new league, where he has never played before. There have been rumors of Pucci joining either the Greek or Turkish team, and bookies could see both of them as possible options for him.
If Pucci joins a Turkish club like Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, or Beşiktaş, he can play European football and get regular playing time. At these clubs, Pucci would be a backup to their first choice. If Pucci decides to join any club in Greece, he would be their first choice. Greece is a surprisingly likely option as it is known to be a league where older Finnish players go before retirement.
Finnish betting experts would not be surprised if Pucci decides to join an Italian club. It wasn’t long before lower-table Italian teams made a bid on Pucci to take him in
their club. Pucci may also have a chance to join some Serie B clubs. For example, Venezuela are interested in pairing him with fellow international Joel Pojanpalo.
Even though betting experts believe that Puccini joining an entirely new league is the most likely option, he would not miss the chance to join a Premier League club. It is more likely that Puqi will join a new league because if he decides to join a Premier League club, he will not get as much first-team action as any other team.