Arsenal are one of the clubs interested in adding Kaishu Sano to their squad after closely following the Mainz 05 defensive midfielder over the last few months.
The ****** an international has established himself as one of the finest players in his position in the Bundesliga and has continued to impress with his performances for Mainz. His consistent displays have attracted interest from several clubs looking to strengthen their midfield options.
Sano is a tough-tackling, ball-playing midfielder who would suit the system Mikel Arteta currently employs at ****** nal. The Gunners believe his qualities could strengthen their midfield and provide another reliable option for the squad.
Liverpool are another club reported to be interested in signing the midfielder as they look to improve their own squad. However, it remains to be seen whether Mainz 05 will be willing to part with one of their key players before the transfer window closes.
According to Bulinews, Mainz 05 sporting director Christian Heidel has addressed Sano's future as the club prepares for the new season, with interest in the midfielder continuing to grow.

#mainz #arsenal

Kaishu Sano has been linked with a move away from Mainz 05, with Liverpool and ****** nal among the clubs reportedly monitoring the 25-year-old defensive midfielder.
Speaking to Bild, Mainz sporting director Christian Heidel gave his thoughts on the growing interest in the ****** anese international.
"We don't have to sell Kaishu and can afford to keep him. If he stays, there will be a lot of happy people in the team, at the club, and around it," Heidel said.
However, he admitted that Mainz would have to consider a sale if an offer that was too good to refuse arrived.
"It's always the same at Mainz 05. If an offer comes in that leaves us gasping for air, we have to think about it," Heidel said.

#kaishu

After Liverpool were linked with a move for Mainz midfielder Kaishu Sano by **** anese outlet Nikkan Sports towards the end of last month, Sport Bild are now also reporting on the interest.
An article in Wednesday's edition of the German magazine states that Sano is expected to leave Mainz this summer and that Liverpool are willing to pay €60 million for the defensive midfielder.
Such a deal would make Sano by far the most expensive departure in Mainz's history, with the current record held by Brajan Gruda, who was sold to Brighton & Hove Albion for €31.5 million in 2024.
Sano's market value was estimated at €40 million by Transfermarkt in May and has since risen further following his impressive performances for **** an at the World Cup.
Mainz paid just €2.5 million to sign the midfielder from Kashima Antlers in 2024.

Last week Liverpool were mentioned as one of the suitors in the race for FIFA World Cup breakout star Kaishu Sano.
The 25-year-old workhorse was devastatingly effective in the ****** an midfield - scoring a brilliant goal in the Samurai Blue's round of 32 defeat at the hands of Brazil.
Sano returns to his club - Mainz of the Bundesliga - as a man in demand with teams across Germany and the Premier League now queuing up for his signature.
That's according to a new report in Fussball Daten - which claims Manchester United, ****** nal and Borussia Dortmund are all in the race to sign the £50m-rated No6.
Liverpool are frontrunners to land Sano however - with reports of talks having already been opened between the club and the midfielder's entourage.

Liverpool may have been handed a clear opening in the race for Kaishu Sano, with Mainz effectively confirming that the right bid would put the midfielder on the market. According to Sport Witness, the Bundesliga club are willing to listen, even if they are in no rush to sell.
This is how modern transfers work. Selling clubs talk tough, point to long contracts, mention market value and insist there is no pressure. Then they leave the door open. Mainz have done exactly that with Sano, a player whose reputation has risen sharply after an outstanding World Cup with ******* an.
The 25-year-old has been mentioned as a Liverpool target at a time when midfield uncertainty is driving the conversation. Alexis Mac Allister continues to attract attention, Curtis Jones is entering the final year of his contract, and Andoni Iraola is still shaping what this Liverpool side should look like after taking over this summer.
Mainz sporting director Niko Bungert did not dance around the situation. He said: “It’s obvious that a player who has played two years in the Bundesliga and was outstanding at the World Cup, probably the best player in his position, is in demand.” That is not a come-and-get-him plea, but it is an acknowledgement that interest is real.
He added: “There’s no doubt there are interested parties. It’s well known that England is the league where outstanding players usually move.” Again, no ambiguity there. Liverpool will hear that and recognise a club preparing the ground for negotiations.

It was a picture that left a thousand words unsaid. Had Casemiro, smiling widely with both hands on the trophy, been covered in Jude Bellingham’s honesty cloak, the post-match interview may have seen the Brazil midfielder explain why he did not deserve the gong.
He was neither the first nor last peculiar selection for the ‘Superior Player of the Match’ at this World Cup 2026 but the decision to place him on a pedestal after Monday’s anxious, unconvincing win against ****** an was certainly the oddest.
Only Lucas Paqueta’s hamstring twinge may have saved Casemiro from being hooked at the interval for the second time in this tournament following a 45-minute spell in which he allowed Kaishu Sano to put ****** an in front, collided with Paqueta and Matheus Cunha - yes, his teammates - in farcical fashion, and puffed around uncomfortably as a sad caricature of his former self.
That he headed in the equaliser was no doubt redemptive but what preceded it was a catalogue of errors to make pub players blush; although Casemiro still appeared delighted when talking about the importance of mindset and spirit as he grasped the award.
Other bewildering nominations have followed. Cristiano Ronaldo was hailed for his role in Portugal’s nerve-shredding victory against Croatia in Toronto despite his only registered touch in the box being the penalty to equalise before he was substituted.

Liverpool are showing strong interest in Mainz midfielder Kaishu Sano, whose stock has soared this summer.
The 25-year-old scored for ****** an in their World Cup last-32 defeat to Brazil, a moment that has amplified attention from Europe’s biggest clubs.
He is far from a Liverpool exclusive, however. ****** anese outlet Nikkan Sports reports that ****** nal, Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund are all tracking the midfielder too, setting up a genuinely competitive race.
His goal against Brazil was the standout moment. Sano pounced on a loose Danilo pass, breezed past Casemiro and rifled low into the far corner. It gave ****** an a first-half lead before Brazil recovered to win 2-1.
The strike capped a durable club season. Sano made 48 appearances in all competitions for Mainz, offering steady output and reliability in the engine room. He is comfortable both as a defensive anchor and a box-to-box midfielder.

Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images
Arsenal's first two players to feature in the World Cup last-32 faced a serious scare as Brazil took on **** an on Monday night, as Kaishu Sano gave **** an a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute.
Fortunately, Gabriel Magalhaes' cross was headed home by Casemiro in the 56th minute, before Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to slide home a winner in the 96th minute.
OptaJoe reports that the goal was the latest winning goal in normal time of the World Cup knockouts on record, and **** an were left with no chance to respond.
Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images

Japan and the Netherlands will kick off their World Cup campaign in Texas on Sunday night. There are seven Bundesliga-based players in Hajime Moriyasu’s squad, with FC Bayern’s Hiroki Itō, Eintracht Frankfurt's Ritsu Dōan and Mainz’s Kaishū Sano making the starting lineup.
From the starting XI of the Samurai Blue, Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt) also had previous Bundesliga experience. With Wataru Endo's international retirement and former Borussia Mönchengladbach defender Kō Itakura on the bench, Dōan will captain ***** an.
Meanwhile, Leverkusen’s Mark Flekken is the substitute goalkeeper for the Netherlands. From the eight players with previous Bundesliga experiences, Micky van de Ven (Wolfsburg), Ryan Gravenberch (FC Bayern) and Donyell Malen (Borussia Dortmund) are in Ronald Koeman’s XI.
Netherlands: Verbruggen; Dumfries, van Hecke, van Dijk ©, van de Ven; Gravenberch, de Jong, Reijnders; Summerville, Malen, Gakpo
Japan: Suzuki; Taniguchi, Watanabe, Itō; Dōan ©, Sano, Kamada, Nakamura; Maeda, Kubo; Ueda