VfB Stuttgart holds on to Kevin Kuranyi to relief of his team

Kevin Kuranyi said Saturday he's ready to extend his contract with VfB Stuttgart, ending the tug-of-war over the services of the Germany forward.

That was good news for the financially strapped Bundesliga front-runners, who are trying to hold together its young talented team against more lucrative offers from bigger clubs.

"We have a few details to work out, but I'm confident we can do that tomorrow," Kuranyi said after Saturday's 0-0 Bundesliga draw against VfL Bochum.

Last week, Germany defender and fellow 21-year-old Andreas Hinkel spurned a more lucrative offer from Schalke to stay with the rising club.

Like Hinkel, Kuranyi probably won't earn what he could at another club for extending his contract beyond 2005. In addition to a reported offer from Schalke, representatives from AC Milan and Juventus Turin were spotted in the stands by the German media during the Bochum match.

But Kuranyi, Germany's top forward, has been under huge pressure from the fans, media and his teammates to stay with they Bundesliga's youngest side, which now appears to have a big future.

"I'm confident he will sign. It would be a shame if he didn't. He's helped stamped this team," said Stuttgart coach Felix Magath, given much of the credit for forming the team's young stars.

Stuttgart was forced to put unknowns from its youth system on the pitch last season because it was broke, then shocked many people by finishing second in league. This year, its unbeaten in the Bundesliga and cruised into the Champions League's second round, chalking up a win against Manchester United in the process.

Among the other key youngsters on Stuttgart are goalie Timo Hildebrand, 24, Belarus midfielder Aliaksandr Hleb, 22, and winger Philipp Lahm, 20.

Stuttgart still has 15 million euros (US$17.5 million) debt.