Teemu Pukki dutifully reported to the start of Minnesota United preseason camp and participated in the club’s first official training session Monday morning.
But the veteran forward’s remaining time with the Loons appears to be ticking toward zero.
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The short, company-line answer is Pukki is under contract with MNUFC until June 2025, but translated reports last week out of his native Finland say a contract buyout with United might be in the works.
“It remains to be seen how that will pan out over the course of the next six weeks or so, I suppose,” head coach Eric Ramsay said Monday. “The only thing on my mind and Teemu’s mind is that he comes back in on Day 1, integrates really well as a part of the group, which he always does, and trains with every intention to work his way back into the team and play a meaningful role.
“That’s all we’ve got on the line at the moment, and how the situation pans out, as time goes on, remains to be seen.”
It’s easy to see how advantageous it would be for MNUFC to move on from Pukki. The 34-year-old’s production dipped last season, while he is the club’s highest-paid player at $3.5 million and occupies one of three coveted Designated Player spots.
After scoring 10 goals in 2023, the veteran forward scored only four goals in 939 minutes in 2024. He dealt with injuries and fell down the depth chart due to the breakout play of Tani Oluwaseyi in the spring and the addition of Kelvin Yeboah in the summer transfer window.
MLS rules state that each club can buy out one player from a guaranteed contract and free up corresponding salary budget space each year.
While timing might seem open-ended until June, one deadline in relation to these buyouts is the MLS roster freeze deadline, which comes just before the start of the regular season. MNUFC starts its 2025 campaign at Los Angeles FC on Feb. 22.
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Supporting a friend
Bongi Hlongwane and Sang Bin Jeong might be the closest pair of friends on the Loons roster. The club’s social media staff often leans into their fun-loving bond.
That connection was ongoing behind the scenes when Jeong had a family member pass away last season. Hlongwane was with Jeong on the day he received the bad news and then took Jeong to the airport for his flight to his native South Korea the next day.
“I was there for him,” Hlongwane said Monday. “During that time, I was reaching out to him and trying to see, like, how is he doing? When he came back, I was happy. And then seeing the performances he had after that tough time, then I was happy for him (too).”
College kids
Three of the Loons’ four draft picks from December are in camp: Creighton midfielder Roman Torres, Connecticut defender Kieran Chandler and Kentucky forward Logan Dorsey.
Rutgers defender Nick Collins, the Loons’ last pick at No. 85, decided to remain in school.
One of the two 2023 draft picks who stayed in college a year ago has since come to Blaine: Wake Forest midfielder Babacar Niang. West Virginia forward Marcus Caldeira declined to come to MNUFC camp for a second straight year and will remain in college.
Convening in Cali
MNUFC has four preseason matches scheduled, starting with Real Salt Lake on Jan. 29 in Santa Barbara, Calif. The team will return home in early February and then will head back to the Coachella Valley Invitational in Indio, Calif., to play Sporting Kansas City on Feb. 9, L.A. Galaxy on Feb. 12 and New York City FC on Feb. 15.
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Briefly
Alec Smir appears in line to be Dayne St. Clair’s primary backup in net this season. The Loons had two goalies join them in training Monday and one is in line to be signed to the club’s developmental team, MNUFC2. … Recently retired MNUFC defender Zarek Valentin has formally started his transition to the sideline, but he is not at full strength. After his playing career ended with a torn Achilles tendon, Valentin was instructing players Monday while wearing a protective boot on his right foot. … The Loons had 32 total players participating in training on Monday.
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