Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is ready to renew his interest in Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi - but he knows he will not be alone.
The 28-year-old Germany international is out of contract in the summer and Bruce, who made an inquiry about him in January, has admitted the prospect of snapping up a player of his stature on a Bosman deal is one which is too tempting to be ignored. However, the Black Cats are well aware that they will find themselves in a lengthy queue despite Kuranyi's wage demands, which various reports have suggested could be around £3.5million a season.
Bruce, who dismissed speculation he could make a £15million bid for Udinese's Italy winger Simone Pepe, said: "Kevin Kuranyi will be linked with every top club in Europe. Let's be fair, he's a fantastic player who is playing for a club which is trying to win the Bundesliga."
Schalke, for whom Kuranyi has scored 18 league goals this season, are currently in second place in the Bundesliga, a point adrift of Bayern Munich.
Bruce added: "As everybody knows out there, he is the most outstanding Bosman signing probably in Europe, so I would think there must be 25 clubs looking for his signature - and I can confirm we would be interested, of course we would.
"But we all know we are up against it because of how big the personality is and how big the player is.
"What we are trying to do is improve, but it's not just going to be, I wouldn't have thought, a bottomless pit.
"But for a Bosman like that, we have got to be interested."
Source: PA
