Minnesota United is spending big at striker, and the Loons’ recent investment at the position has started to pay dividends.
Teemu Pukki checks in as the 12th-highest-paid player in MLS at $3.55 million, according to the MLSPA salary budget release Wednesday. Pukki easily eclipses the Loons’ previously highest-paid player, Emanuel Reynoso, at $2.1 million.
After signing a two-year contract in June, Pukki has produced 10 goals in 11 league matches in 2023, a total ballooned by a four-game performance on Oct. 7.
The Finnish international started slow, with one goal in his first five matches, but has become a regular scoring threat, nine goals in his past eight games.
With an MLS Cup Playoff spot on the line, Pukki scored a club-record four goals in a 5-2 win over Los Angeles Galaxy on Oct. 7. With the highest scoring total of his professional career, he won MLS player of the match day.
The rule of thumb is for a forward to score 0.50 goals per 90 minutes, roughly one goal every two games. But with that four-goal game, Pukki is at 0.96 goals per 90, heading into the regular-season finale at Sporting Kanas City on Saturday.
Excluding his four-goal outburst, Pukki is still averaging an impressive 0.63 goals per 90 minutes.
Pukki, 33, is signed through June 2025, with a club option through the rest of the 2025 season. The plan is to have Pukki continue to develop his partnership with Reynoso and fellow Finn Robin Lod next season. Lod suffered a season-ending knee injury in May, and Reynoso has been encouraged by the chemistry he has formed with Pukki.
“Little by little we’re getting confidence and we’re getting affinity in training and in the games,” Reynoso said via a translation from Marliene Calderon. “He’s a very intelligent player, has good movement. I think there haven’t been enough chances for him to convert, but the ones that have, he’s done really well with. He helped us in the last game; he scored lots of goals. Let’s hope that he comes back from the national team like this and leaves everything out for us as well because we know he always does. I hope he’s able to score on Saturday.”
The Loons brought in three other players during the summer transfer window; two of those salaries also were revealed Wednesday.
After Kervin Arriaga was sidelined with a knee injury, Jan Gregus was brought in via trade from Nashville SC. The 32-year-old Slovakian is earning $266,750 for 2023, with a club option for 2024.
Left back Ethan Bristow was signed from Tranmere Rovers, in the fourth division of English football, through the 2025 season. The 21-year-old Englishman is making $146,630.
Winger Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, 29, is a bargain at $98,777; the Loons have two club options for the Libyan for 2024 and 2025.
For the previous four seasons, ex-manager Adrian Heath routinely had the club out-performing its salary spend in the league standings. But due to plateauing results, MNUFC fired Heath earlier this month. This year’s Loons team ranks 19th overall in MLS in salary spending, per The Athletic, and is currently tied for 19th in the overall league standings.
