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 range from around £3.5million a season to almost twice that. Schalke, for whom Kuranyi has scored 18 league goals this season, are currently in second place in the Bundesliga, a point adrift of Manchester United's midweek Champions League quarter-final conquerors Bayern Munich. 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. "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." Sunderland head for struggling West Ham tomorrow knowing victory - it would be just their second of the season away from home and their first since the opening day - would mathematically assure them of their place in next season's Barclays Premier League. Bruce said: "We are there if we win tomorrow, we are mathematically there, so that's got to be the aim, to finish the season off strongly. "Can we catch Fulham, Stoke, Blackburn? That's the aim, to try to catch those three." But planning for the new season is already under way with Bruce drawing up his list of targets and attempting to secure the futures of youngsters Jordan Henderson and David Meyler, as well as 33-year-old Dutchman Bolo Zenden, who has been offered another year's contract. The manager said: "We are in contract negotiations with Henderson and Meyler as a reward for what they have done, particularly Meyler, who has come from nowhere really. "Bolo, I will leave it up to him. I want him to stay. The way he has helped the young players - and we have got some exceptionally good young players, including the two on loan, [Jack] Colback and [Martyn] Waghorn, who are getting rave reviews from their respective clubs [Ipswich and Leicester], so that bodes well. "But Bolo has been particularly helpful in that respect. He has been the ultimate pro, and you can see why he has played for Marseille and Barcelona and Chelsea and Liverpool. "He is an exceptional talent. I have used him as an impact player and typical Bolo, he wants to play more, which I can understand. "I will just leave the whole situation up to Bolo. He knows there's an offer there for him: if he wants it, fine; if he wants to try elsewhere, then I can understand that as well." Bruce has injury concerns over skipper Lorik Cana and central defender Michael Turner for Saturday's game, while he fears Andy Reid's season could have been ended by a calf problem.
