Stuttgart's Urgent Bid to Retain Deniz Undav Ahead of World Cup

VfB Stuttgart know exactly what is at stake with Deniz Undav. They have the goalscorer they spent years searching for – and they are now fighting the calendar as much as the competition.

If no agreement is reached before Undav leaves for the World Cup, negotiations will be put on ice. No more meetings, no more numbers, no more clauses. That pause would almost certainly rule out any extension beyond 2027 this summer and open a dangerous door: from 1 January, the Germany striker can talk freely to other clubs and walk away on a free in 2027.

Stuttgart are not prepared to just watch that scenario unfold.

Club-record money on the table

According to Bild, the hierarchy will go back in with a second, significantly improved offer before the weekend. The first proposal – a three-year extension, potentially running to 2030 – landed on Undav’s desk at the start of May. He turned it down.

This time, VfB are stretching themselves. CEO Alexander Wehrle and sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth are driving the talks, armed with a package already cleared by the supervisory board. The new offer is said to include a basic salary of €5.5–6 million per year, up from roughly €4.5 million, plus a €3 million signing-on fee.

For Stuttgart, that is headline stuff. A club-record deal, built around one man.

They know why. Undav’s numbers last season were the kind that get agents’ phones ringing: 25 goals and 14 assists. That output has not gone unnoticed abroad, where richer clubs are circling with the promise of bigger wages and a different stage.

Torn between comfort and opportunity

Inside Stuttgart, though, there is quiet optimism. Undav has told the club’s decision-makers he can see himself staying long term. He and his family feel at home – in the dressing room, on the training ground, in the city.

That matters. Stability, routine, a coach who trusts him, a team built to his strengths. Stuttgart can offer all of that. What they cannot easily match is the financial firepower from overseas or the allure of a new challenge after a breakout year.

The next few days will show which side of that equation weighs heavier for the 27-year-old.

Star at club, “super-sub” for country

While Stuttgart roll out the red carpet, Undav’s status with the national team tells a different story.

Julian Nagelsmann currently sees him as a super-sub for the World Cup. Kai Havertz is locked in as the first-choice centre-forward, and in recent friendlies Undav has even slipped behind Nick Woltemade in the pecking order. That hierarchy raised eyebrows, given Woltemade’s struggles at Newcastle United and his far leaner scoring record compared to Undav’s prolific season.

On the pitch, Undav responded in the only way he knows. He proved decisive in the second friendly against Ghana, forcing his way into the narrative with impact and end product. Afterward, despite Nagelsmann’s clearly defined roles, the VfB striker did not hide his ambition and spoke openly about his hope of starting.

The reaction from the coach misfired. Nagelsmann made remarks directed at Undav that were widely viewed as questionable. The situation threatened to become an unnecessary sideshow.

The tension did not last. Nagelsmann apologised to Undav personally, and the forward later confirmed that their relationship remains intact. For now, the issue is closed.

A race against time

So Undav stands at a curious crossroads: indispensable at club level, still fighting for full trust with the national team, and entering a contract window that could shape the rest of his career.

Stuttgart have made their move with a record-breaking offer and a clear message – you are our man, and we are prepared to prove it. The question now is whether that faith, combined with the life he has built in Swabia, can outweigh the lure of the wider market once 1 January arrives.