According to Bild, VfB Stuttgart has great interest in Kodai Sano. The German club sees the NEC midfielder as the ideal replacement for Angelo Stiller. Bild reports that NEC is asking for around twenty million euros for Sano. This asking price is currently too high for Stuttgart, which is set to play in the Champions League next season. The transfer could proceed, however, if the sale of Stiller generates a significant fee.

VfB Stuttgart is interested in 22-year-old Kodai Sano, and Dutch champions PSV are also interested in the Japanese player. PSV, Ajax, and Nottingham Forest had previously shown interest in Sano during the winter, but NEC did not allow him to leave at that time. NEC now appears willing to facilitate a transfer and aims to sell to the highest bidder; it was reported that in February 2026, NEC rejected a €20 million bid from Nottingham Forest.