VfB Stuttgart's Urgent Push to Secure Deniz Undav Before World Cup
VfB Stuttgart are racing the clock to tie down Deniz Undav, and the stakes could hardly be higher.
If no agreement is reached before the striker heads off to the World Cup, negotiations will be put on ice. Not slowed. Stopped. That pause would effectively kill off any chance of extending his deal beyond 2027 this summer and open up a dangerous scenario for the club: from 1 January, the Germany international can talk freely to other sides and walk away on a free in 2027.
Stuttgart know exactly what that means. So they are pushing all their chips to the middle of the table.
Club-record money on the line
According to Bild, the hierarchy at VfB will place a second, improved contract on Undav’s desk before the weekend. Their first attempt, made at the start of May, was a three-year extension with an option to 2030. Undav said no.
This time, Stuttgart are going bigger than ever.
CEO Alexander Wehrle and sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth are fronting the talks, and the supervisory board has already signed off on the new proposal. The offer on the table is said to include a basic salary in the region of €5.5–6 million per season, up from around €4.5 million, plus a €3 million signing bonus.
For VfB, that is not just a pay rise. It is a statement. A club-record package to keep the man who powered their season.
A star season, and new suitors circling
Undav’s numbers tell the story. Twenty-five goals. Fourteen assists. A campaign that dragged Stuttgart up a level and inevitably drew glances from richer clubs abroad.
Yet Stuttgart are not fighting a lost cause. Internally, the 27-year-old has made it clear he is open to committing his long-term future to VfB. He and his family feel at home in the city and at the club. That matters, especially when the alternative is a leap into the unknown for a bigger wage packet.
But the market does not wait. His breakout season has lit up radars overseas, and those clubs can outmuscle Stuttgart financially. The Bundesliga side are banking on timing, loyalty and a sense of belonging to bridge that gap.
Super-sub for Germany, star man in Stuttgart
The contrast between Undav’s status at club and country is stark.
At Stuttgart, he is the focal point. For Germany, Julian Nagelsmann currently sees him as a super-sub. Kai Havertz holds the starting centre-forward role, and in recent friendlies Undav even found himself behind Nick Woltemade in the pecking order, despite the Newcastle United striker’s struggles and far leaner scoring record.
Undav still made his mark. In the second friendly against Ghana he proved decisive, forcing his way into the conversation with the kind of performance that has become routine in Stuttgart colours.
Buoyed by that display, he spoke publicly about his hope of earning a starting place. Nagelsmann responded with comments aimed at the VfB striker that raised eyebrows and sparked debate. The national coach later rowed back, apologising to Undav personally. The forward has since confirmed that their relationship remains intact.
A decision that shapes careers – and a club
So Undav now stands at a crossroads. On one side, a club that has built around him and is prepared to break its own financial ceiling to keep him. On the other, the pull of the international stage, a World Cup shop window, and the prospect of heavyweight offers from abroad once the calendar flips to January.
Stuttgart have made their move. The next one belongs to their No. 9.
