De Gelderlander reports that Crystal Palace has a serious interest in Kodai Sano. According to the report, the asking price is easy for Crystal Palace to pay. Should a transfer be unavoidable, it is more attractive for NEC financially and sportingly to sell Sano to a foreign club.

Crystal Palace and VfL Wolfsburg are reportedly preparing bids for NEC's 22-year-old Japanese central midfielder Kodai Sano. NEC is said to be unwilling to sell the player this winter. The club received an offer from Ajax that was reported to be ten million euros plus the transfer rights for Ahmetcan Kaplan. NEC's asking price is understood to be twenty million euros. An agent who has been given the mandate to sell Sano has stated that NEC is not wavering and the player will remain with the club until the summer. Sano's current contract runs until 2028. This season in the Eredivisie, Sano has registered 3 goals and 4 assists in 20 appearances, and he has one cap for Japan. His current Transfermarkt market value is €6.00m. Throughout December 2025 and January 2026, NEC's desired fee was consistently reported in the €15 million to €20 million range.