22 Oct 2012

Yes please! LFC chase 33-goal starlet who rejected 3-year Reds deal in August...

In March 2012, HJC Helsinki striker Joel Pohjanpalo undertook a one week trial at Liverpool FC, and reports in Germany indicate that the Reds have reignited their interest in the 18-year old Finnish goalscorer.

According to Kicker magazine, Liverpool are once again interested in signing the young striker, who is under contract at Helsinki until 2015.

In August 2012, Pohjanpalo rejected the Reds offer of a three-year deal after the club refused to guarantee him playing time in the reserves.

Pohjanpalo - dubbed the 'the new Jari Litmanen - scored a perfect three-minute hat-trick against IFK Mariehamn during Helsink's opening league game of the 2012 season.

Joel Pohjanpalo three-minute hat-trick



Former Reds attacker Litmanen has taken a close interest in Pohjanpalo's development, and even stopped by Melwood during the youngster's trial. He remembered:

"He visited me in training when I was on trial at Liverpool.

"Hopefully, he will continue his career so that I can play alongside him some time".


Like Samed Yesil, another recent striker signing, Pohjanpalo has a formidable youth record, and last season, he grabbed 33 goals in 23 matches for Helsinki's reserve team.

Jaimie Kanwar


20 comments:

  1. Which proves we have not got a clue

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  2. probably being lined up to replace ngoo.

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  3. Prolific youth records. Ten-a-penny.

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  4. So does Jari live in the Melwood area or did he actually get on a plane just to see this kid try out for us?

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  5. does this really help our cause at this moment, we need a tevez for example. no champs league obviously, so who knows who we can get.
    will be the same as any other transfer window, linked with loads of decent players, lucky to get one, and miss out on the one that went else where.
    adebeyor could be a shruve move, as we lack height up front now.............i wonder why!! and he scores good goals

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  6. Jari was probably in town filming the documentary about himself: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2316787/ (I can recommend it, if you like Litmanen! :)

    Btw, Pohjanpalo would be a good signing, but he should be loaned back to HJK or to Sweden/Holland etc league to continue to get game time and grow as a footballer. So not really a solution for our striker problem, but good for the future.

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  7. He has also scored 16 goals in 33 games for the first team.

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  8. I am ALL for it. I would love him at LFC.

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  9. STOP EMAILING ME YOU SAD COW.THE LAST THING I NEED IS A CRAZY STALKER!

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  10. Hi Jaimie! Here's a long post and a link to a interview's with Pohjanpalo(who just turned 18years) in finnish media.
    They are in finnish so here's the main translates: ''It was a great experience to go to my favourite club. I have always dreamed to even visit there once. I will never forget it''. ''I signed the long contract at a time i had only played third division and it was natural to make a long contract then. Now if i hopefully move abroad in future then HJK can gain financially also''.

    http://www.hs.fi/urheilu/Joel+Pohjanpalo+nauttii+treeneist%C3%A4+Liverpoolissa+ja+Litmasen+kanssa/a1305559222500striker

    And another one:

    http://ylex.yle.fi/uutiset/popuutiset/liverpooliin-kosiskeltu-suomalaisfutaaja-se-oli-vaikea-paatos

    Translate: ''It was a hard decision to reject Liverpools contract offer''. ''HJK is a good club and there's a great feeling in this group, i can for.example call to our assistant manager in my free time to come and play the ball.. Im sure it would not been possible in Liverpool.'' ''I know i might get an injury or something else and the possibility (of a move to Liverpool) would not necesserily happen again, but i have to move forward and overcome all obstacles when they arise''.
    He also told his father has always been a liverpool fan and he's followed us from very early age.

    As a finnish Liverpool fan i would be more than happy for him to join us and he really is A TOP TALENT. He has quick feet, excellent technique and is in a right place at a right time to finish changes. He's also very good with headers. His stats (2011) were 21games /33goals in third division(a new record) this season 2012: 21games / 9 goals in the finnish main league, where HJK lead the table at this moment by 3 points before final round. In all competitions this season 33games/16goals including 2goals in champions league. In Finland there's always a talk of a new 'Litmanen' or new 'Hyypiä' if there's young talents coming through but i think this player is special. So let's hope he signs!
    Some facts:
    -scored a three-minute hatrick in his league debut
    -after a trial with Liverpool, Frank McParland and Stuart Webber came to see him play in the finnish league cup final where he scored
    -McParland/Webber were impressed and offered a contract which he refused (according to HJK chairman Lyytikäinen)
    -there's many top European teams following his progres
    -Teemu Pukka moved to Schalke for appr. 2m euros and in Pohjanpalo's case the price will have to be much higher accordingly to HJK chairman

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  11. i would do anything to get cavani. hes fast strong, perfect in combination with suarez and he might love to play with him, hes not in a stronger club , but he wont come us cheap for sure, if we can really spend a lot of money in summer lets get him !!!!

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  12. What is it with Rodgers & small , liteweight , strikers .
    It must be very frustrating for Michael Ngoo .
    because , Rodgers it seems has already made up his mind
    Ngoo will not fit into his plans. I still reckon he treated
    Andy Carroll in a disgusting fashion , i hope the big man
    makes him pay when he gets the chance . It may sound
    very nice , small ,very quick, skilful players , but until
    the whole squad play to the same pattern it will take years.
    If Carroll plays most of West Hams games i reckon he alone
    will make sure they finish higher than us in the league.
    Letting Carroll go on a virtual free transfer , will be almost
    as big a blunder as Dalglish giving Newcastle 35 m for him .

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  13. Please get the boy as soon as possible, before any of the big guns jump queue.

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  14. I think they only striker we should be seriously considering bringing to the club in January is Huntelaar. Yes, I know he's 29 but who cares? RVP is also 29 and, if you believe the majority of Dutch pundits, Huntelaar is a better player. I do, his international record is better and his overall goals to games ratio is up there with the best ever.
    Go get him, Brendan, give Suarez his old mate to make goals for. They were amazing together at Ajax and we're making a ton of chances every game. We NEED Huntelaar in the team, even if he only has 3 seasons with us. He will convert the chances we make which will put us back up to challenging for the title and his presence in training will be a boost for all the young strikers - think back to Rush being the inspiration for Fowler. If Huntelaar is at Melwood every day, think of how much he can pass on to Yesil, Morgan, Ngoo, Thomas etc.

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  15. The Dutch pundits believe Huntelaar is a better fit for the national team as the team doesn't look as fluid when Van Persie is in it. That is a huge difference from saying Huntelaar is generally a better player than Van Persie. I'd take Van Persie over Huntelaar any day as a player, bemusing to suggest otherwise. Huntelaar is mostly just a goalpoacher, whereas Van Persie has a lot more to his game. But obviously we can't have Van Persie, so Huntelaar at LFC? yes please.

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  16. How about singing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang instead? 23 and improving all the time. Can see this guy becoming a top striker.

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  17. Get him for next generation part.Good finishing for goal scorer player.

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  18. he lvies in cheshire in knutsford area

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  19. Great to have someone with an insight into Finish football. Much was expected of Lauri Dalla Valle, too. He, too, was considered as a top talent, right? A Finish guy at my former workplace also spoke highly of him, even though he isn't much into football. However, so far it hasn't happened for him. Could you give us some insight then on how much better Pohjanpalo is. As you've mentioned, every decent youngster is termed the next Hyypiä/Litmanen.

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  20. Stop joking. He lives in Helsinki, Finland. :)

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