Nottingham Forest has a serious interest in the 22-year-old Kodai Sano, and Crystal Palace has also been named as an interested party. It is reported that NEC is anticipating an offer for the Japanese midfielder that it would be unable to reject, due to increasing interest. The club is said to be asking for a minimum of €20 million. Ajax has also approached NEC, but the valuation is considered too high for them. Reports from February 2026 indicated that Ajax submitted an offer of €10 million plus a player, and this offer was rejected. It is stated that if a transfer becomes unavoidable, it would be more attractive for NEC from both a financial and sporting perspective to sell Sano to a foreign club. The player acknowledged that he is aware NEC would prefer to sell him in the summer, but he could not promise to remain at the club for the rest of the season, stating that circumstances in football can change quickly. Sano has one cap for Japan. He joined NEC in August 2023 and his contract runs until June 2028. In the current Eredivisie season, Sano has made 20 appearances, scoring three goals and providing four assists. Transfermarkt estimates his current market value at €6.00m.