Saku Ylätupa

Saku Ylätupa (born 4 August 1999) is a Finnish footballer who plays for Kalmar FF.^[1] A pacy two-footed Finland international, he prefers to play as an attacking midfielder, but he can also play as a central midfielder, winger or centre-forward.

Saku Ylätupa

Personal information
Full name	Saku Tuomas Severi Ylätupa
Date of birth	(1999-08-04) 4 August 1999 (age 26)
Place of birth	Espoo, Finland
Height	1.71 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Kalmar FF
Number	19
Youth career
	FC Espoo
2016–2017	HJK
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2015–2016	Klubi 04	30	(17)
2016–2017	HJK	0	(0)
2017	→ RoPS (loan)	17	(3)
2017–2019	Jong Ajax	4	(1)
2019–2022	AIK	24	(1)
2020	→ IFK Mariehamn (loan)	8	(0)
2022	GIF Sundsvall	27	(5)
2023–	Kalmar FF	22	(2)
2024	→ Helsingør (loan)	8	(0)
International career‡
2014–2016	Finland U17	11	(3)
2016–2017	Finland U18	2	(0)
2016–2018	Finland U19	17	(3)
2018–	Finland U21	15	(2)
2019–	Finland	3	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 6 August 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 16 January 2023

Early career

Born in Espoo in 1999,^[2] Ylätupa started his football career in a youth team of a local club FC Espoo, before joining HJK youth sector. Ylätupa played in Klubi-04, the reserve team of HJK.

Club career

HJK

In 2016, Ylätupa was called up for HJK first team. On 2 April 2016, Ylätupa made his senior debut in Finnish League Cup against FC Lahti at Talin jalkapallohalli, playing the game as a starting line-up during 46 minutes.^[3]

Ajax

On 21 July 2017, it was announced that the midfielder had signed a three-year contract with Dutch side AFC Ajax.^[4]

GIF Sundsvall

On 10 January 2022, Ylätupa signed a three-year contract with GIF Sundsvall in Allsvenskan for a €125.000 transfer fee.^[5]

Kalmar FF

Following Sundsvall's relegation to the Superettan, on 16 January 2023 Ylätupa officially joined fellow Swedish side Kalmar FF for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-year contract with the club.^[6]

FC Helsingør (loan)

On 5 January 2024, he was sent on loan to Danish club Helsingør for the rest of the 2023–24 season.^[7][8] At the end of the 2023-24 season, which ended with relegation to the Danish 2nd Division for Helsingør, Ylätupa left the club and returned to Kalmar.^[9]

International career

He made his debut in the Finland national football team on 8 January 2019 in a friendly against Sweden, as a 68th-minute substitute for Lassi Lappalainen.^[10]

Career statistics

Club

As of 12 May 2025^[11]

Club	Season	League			Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Klubi 04	2015	Kakkonen	14	5	0	0	—		—		14	5
	2016	Kakkonen	16	12	0	0	—		—		16	12
	Total		30	17	0	0	—		—		30	17
HJK	2016	Veikkausliiga	0	0	2	1	3	0	0	0	5	1
	2017	Veikkausliiga	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
	Total		0	0	5	1	3	0	0	0	8	1
RoPS (loan)	2017	Veikkausliiga	17	3	0	0	0	0	—		17	3
Jong Ajax	2018–19	Eerste Divisie	4	1	0	0	—		—		4	1
AIK	2019	Allsvenskan	6	0	5	0	—		0	0	11	0
	2020	Allsvenskan	7	0	5	2	—		—		12	2
	2021	Allsvenskan	11	1	3	1	—		—		14	2
	Total		24	1	13	3	—		0	0	37	4
IFK Mariehamn (loan)	2020	Veikkausliiga	8	0	0	0	0	0	—		8	0
GIF Sundsvall	2022	Allsvenskan	27	5	1	0	–		–		28	5
Kalmar	2023	Allsvenskan	4	0	2	0	–		0	0	6	0
	2024	Allsvenskan	8	0	1	1	–		–		9	1
	2025	Superettan	7	2	3	1	–		–		10	3
	Total		19	2	6	2	0	0	0	0	25	4
Helsingør (loan)	2023–24	Danish 1st Division	8	0	–		–		–		8	0
Career total			136	28	25	1	3	0	0	0	164	34

International

As of match played 12 January 2023

Finland
Year	Apps	Goals
2019	2	0
2020	0	0
2021	0	0
2022	0	0
2023	1	0
Total	3	0