Minnesota United signed another striker to another designated-player slot on Tuesday, when the club announced it acquired Finnish free agent Teemu Pukki.
At age 33, Pukki is the Finland national team's career leader in goals. He has played the past five seasons in England's Premier League and second-division Championship league.
He turned down a chance to return to Norwich City FC when his contract expired after last season. Instead, he signed a two-year contract with a club option until December 2025 to play with Finland national teammate Robin Lod on a new continent.
Pukki made his pro debut at 15 in 2005 and his national team debut in 2009. Pukki leads Finland with 38 goals in 112 appearances with the national team, where he has played with Lod and former Loon Rasmus Schüller. Pukki scored 88 goals in 210 games over five seasons with Norwich City starting in 2018.
Loons coach Adrian Heath called Pukki a "proven goal scorer" who still has at least another three productive seasons in him.
"He has scored virtually everywhere he has been, internationally, Premier League, Championship," Heath said. "He's in great shape, no real injuries of any note. So we're getting someone we feel for the next two years will give us an opportunity to win more games. We're delighted we got it done. It has been in the works for quite a bit."
The Loons recently transferred striker Luis Amarilla to Mazatlan in Mexico's Liga MX to open a designated player position to which they signed Pukki, who visited Minnesota last weekend and toured Allianz Field before he returned home to Finland. He's expected back next week.
He is the latest in a long list of strikers the Loons have signed looking for the right one since they traded away Christian Ramirez in 2018. Ramirez has scored seven goals in 15 games with Columbus Crew this season.
"He's probably the first natural box player we've had since Christian Ramirez," Heath said.
The Loons have created chance after chance, but have scored only 17 goals in 18 games.
Heath said he and his staff have consulted with Lod and Schüller as well as Finland's national team coach and one of Heath's longtime friends at Norwich City. Pukki in turn has talked to Lod and Schüller about Minnesota and MLS.
Pukki and Heath also did a video call in which Pukki asked about how he'd fit in Heath's systems.
Heath said his team had far too many chances to have only three goals in its past three games with star midfielder Emanuel Reynoso back on the field.
"If we can continue creating the opportunities as we are doing now," Heath said, "I feel we've got somebody who can take a fair percentage of those opportunities."
Pukki cannot play for the Loons until the next MLS transfer window opens July 5. The Loons play German second-division club FC Kaiserlautern on Wednesday and Portland at home on Saturday.
It'll probably take longer than that to process Pukki's immigration paperwork.
"We're delighted to get him, but now it's up to the embassies," Heath said. "Let's get him here as soon as possible."
Heath has said his team intends to sign as many as three new players — a forward spot that Pukki now fills as well as a left-back defender and a midfielder.
