Manchester United is interested in 22-year-old Japanese midfielder Kodai Sano and is one of several teams monitoring his development. It is reported that United wants to strengthen with multiple midfielders this summer. The club is expected to part ways with Casemiro, and Manuel Ugarte is also potentially leaving. Sano is reportedly emerging as a concrete option as moves for other targets like Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba, and Elliot Anderson are now considered unlikely.
However, United faces competition, as other large clubs in England and Germany, specifically RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, and Chelsea, are also said to be following his progress. In January, Ajax had a concrete interest in Sano, but NEC rejected the sale. Sano, who has two caps for Japan, joined NEC in August 2023 and his contract is valid until June 2028. His current market value, according to Transfermarkt, is €12.00m.
