Transfer Rumours Arrivals / Departures lounges, Summer 2023.

Hmmm, I wonder which will be the busier of the two?

 

The Athletic ran an article/debate about Pukki's future today which was interesting.

He's out of contract this summer, but the club have a one year option and Pukki would like to stay. That's tempered by the fact Pukki will be paid his £50k p/w Premier League wages in the Championship.

So do you spend £2.5m in wages on Pukki for next year? If you do, you probably also need to buy an attacking midfielder who can assist him in the way nobody has since Emi left, in order for him to perform like we know he can. And then in 12 months time we're having the same debate about a 33 year old striker, going into either a Premier League or Championship season. Knowing that an attacking playing style built around Pukki has failed in the Premier League twice, do you build a system around him for next season, then tear it all up and make a new plan if promoted?

Can we afford to sign Pukki and a new frontline striker this summer, and build around the new man with Pukki a reliable, rarely injured backup who may not perfectly fit the system but knows where the net is?

If we can't afford it, do we go all in on a new striker, and watch Pukki get picked up by another championship/promoted side and score well for them?

 

If Dean Smith stays we will almost certainly be in the market for an attacking midfielder anyway. DS likes to defend high and Pukki is excellent at pressing the opposition back line and defensive midfield. Our current problem is we lack a player able to reliably receive back to goal, turn quickly and advance the ball (someone like McGinn).

 

DF didn't build an attacking style round Pukki; Pukki was brought in because he fitted the attacking style DF was building. For Finland, Teemu usually plays alongside Pohjanpalo, who is more of a conventional centre forward. Hugill could easily play that role, and profit from the kind of service Rashica or Tzolis will provide.

 

Would there be a wage drop in any contract for going down?

I would keep Pukki because if he has the service he will score and provide assists. I would must rather we have him than he go to another club in the championship, besides if he secured promotion that 2.5million would seem like a bargain.

Yes for longer term planning (Idah + another), but in the hear and now Pukki could still do the business in the Championship (wager he could do it in the Premiership too if he had the service and support)

 

duplicate post

 

Per The Athletic, no, he's on £50k p/w this season and that will be the same next season regardless of division.

Whether we can negotiate that down as part of a new contract, rather than taking up the option in his existing contract, I don't know. Perhaps he'd trade 1 year of £50k p/w for two years at £40k p/w, were that the direction the club wanted to take. Gives him stability for longer, and if Norwich are a car crash next season then he might struggle to find a club willing to pay anywhere near £40k p/w in 23-24, so could come out ahead financially?

 

Pukki scores for fun in the Championship. He has done it twice already and I cannot see why he won't do it again. Keep him and it will cost a couple of million in wages - where will we get a proven championship scorer for that? The loan players will go back although we can probably keep Normann for free. If I was the Board I would plan to get in a couple of loans, leave DS to sort out what he has got, including players out on loan, assume that what we have got is good enough to mount another promotion charge and put the money we have got from this season into the rainy day fund.

 

Need a creative mid, Dowell is not the answer and a proper holding mid, in the Skipp mould.
Unless Sorenson is being groomed for that role - and we've seen precious little evidence of that so far!
(Basically replacements for Buendia and Skipp, albeit 12 months too late!)

 

Villa have been buying midfielders for fun and are still looking apparently. Smith might know of a couple of spares available on loan who would do the job for us.

 

We would have to pay Pukki's £2.5m in wages were we to sign another striker of his calibre, who may or may not score the 29 and 26 goals Teemu has scored in his previous Championship seasons. He is still capable of doing that again. Sargent, Hugill and Idah would also perform much better one league lower.

 

I fully agree with your views Rick and think we have lots of players in the current squad who will perform well in the Championship. What players, if any, are out of contract in the summer?

 

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I would be in favour of keeping Pukki if we can but in a reduced role. We need to start looking toward the future, in my opinion Idah should be our starter going forward - build a team or way of playing around him, and keep Pukki as a sub to come on for the last 20mins every week and step if Idah is absent. We therefore can develop our young high potential striker and reduce the risk on burning out our aging talented striker - potentially providing him a longer career.

 

Because we are going to win the rest of our games and stay up?!

 

Send him back to Russia, if he thinks he will be better off over there.

 

Teemu is currently in the top scorers list on 8. Considering the kind of season that we have had I think that is pretty remarkable. Had he been up front for one of the top six clubs I think he would have been near the very top.

 

City are reportedly interested in striker Ross Stewart of Sunderland. 22 goals so far this season, and is said to be a very all round striker who according to Danny Cowley "defends from the front". Cost £300,000 from Ross County.

 

Never heard of him