It is reported that RB Leipzig is one of several major clubs in England and Germany following the development of Kodai Sano, a 22-year-old Japanese midfielder for NEC. Manchester United is also interested in the player, and Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea are also tracking his progress. Ajax previously had concrete interest in Sano in January, but NEC refused to sell him at the time. The midfielder has two caps for Japan, is under contract until June 2028, and has a current Transfermarkt market value of €12.00m. During the February 2026 transfer window, NEC's asking price was reportedly a minimum of €20 million. It was said that the club rejected a bid of that amount from Nottingham Forest, as well as multiple lower offers from Ajax.