Image Credits: Imago Images
Japan’s run at the 2026 World Cup has turned plenty of heads.
Hajime Moriyasu’s side emerged from a stacked Group F by drawing 2-2 with the Netherlands, thumping Tunisia 4-0 and then grinding out a 1-1 draw against Sweden to finish second and book a place in the last 32.
It was without Wataru Endo, who announced his retirement from the national team after his ankle injury suffered with Liverpool.
Japan’s journey ended in heartbreaking fashion in the round of 32, where Japan pushed Brazil all the way in a dramatic 2-1 defeat.
Kaishu Sano fired the Samurai Blue into a first-half lead with a superb strike from outside the box, only for the South Americans to claw their way back.
Gabriel Martinelli then shattered Japanese dreams with a stoppage‑time winner.
It was the kind of performance that hurts in the moment but puts individual players firmly on the radar.
One of those now firmly in Liverpool’s sights is Sano himself.
Reports from Japan’s Nikkan Sports claim the Premier League giants are showing strong interest in the Mainz midfielder, joining Arsenal, Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund in tracking his situation this summer.
Sano, 25, is coming off a standout club campaign in Germany, where he made 48 appearances in all competitions for Mainz, scoring twice and providing five assists from midfield.
Primarily a holding midfielder, he is known for his work rate, reading of the game and ability to progress the ball, qualities that have transferred smoothly onto the international stage.
At this World Cup, Sano has delivered one goal and one assist in three starts. His contract with Mainz runs until 2028.
Sano said of the defeat to Brazil: “I think results are everything, and I’m really disappointed because this team shouldn’t have ended like this. But to be beaten like that at the very end makes me feel like we’re not good enough, but what we’ve been doing isn’t wrong. I think we can be proud of what we’ve built up.”
German outlet Bild suggested back in March that Mainz could seek a fee in the €50–60 million range for their highly-rated midfielder, who has already attracted interest from clubs such as Eintracht Frankfurt and Brentford.