Liverpool's Summer Transfer Dilemma: Will They Sign Kaishu Sano?

Liverpool’s quiet summer is starting to feel loud.

With just over a month left of the window, Victor Munoz remains the club’s only signing. For a side that finished last season looking in need of a refresh, that is not the kind of statement many at Anfield expected.

The dugout has changed. Arne Slot is out, Andoni Iraola is in. That alone suggested a wider reset, a summer of churn and new faces. Instead, Liverpool look lighter, not stronger, than they did at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Rumours? Endless. Genuine movement? Almost none.

Names have circled Anfield all summer, some dropping away, others stubbornly staying in the conversation with daily updates and whispers. That drip-feed has kept belief alive among supporters that, however flat things look now, the squad that walks out on the opening day of the 2026-27 season will not be the same one that limped over the line last term.

Right now, though, the clock is ticking.

Midfield in the spotlight

The midfield remains the most scrutinised area.

Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Trey Nyoni have all been linked with exits. On paper, it is the department with the most depth. In reality, any departure there would demand a response. Liverpool cannot afford to let numbers fall and expect Iraola’s high-intensity approach to survive a full season unscathed.

That uncertainty has turned the middle of the pitch into a magnet for transfer links. One day it is a new creator, the next a holding player. Some targets have faded, others are edging closer to the realm of the realistic.

Liverpool’s willingness to spend does not look in doubt. Talks have reportedly opened with Paris Saint-Germain over Bradley Barcola, a move that would not come cheap and underlines that there is money available if the club decide to use it.

But one name comes with a clear warning label attached: Kaishu Sano.

Mainz make their stance clear

If Liverpool want Sano this summer, they will have to pay.

Mainz sporting director Christian Heidel has set out the club’s position with typical bluntness. Speaking to Bild, he made it clear that the Bundesliga side feel no pressure to cash in on their Japanese midfielder.

“I won't comment on any rumours or any of the clubs mentioned. We don't have to sell Kaishū; we can afford to keep him,” Heidel said.

“If he stays, there will be many happy people in the team, the club, and everywhere around it. But it's like always at Mainz 05. Should an offer come in that takes our breath away, we'll have to consider it!”

In other words: Sano is not on the market, unless someone makes him impossible to refuse.

For Liverpool, that translates to a fee in the region of £50 million. In a wildly inflated market, that figure is not outrageous for a 25-year-old established in a top European league, but it still represents a significant commitment for a player who would walk straight into a fiercely contested area of the pitch.

What Sano would bring to Anfield

Outside of the 2026 World Cup, Sano’s name will be unfamiliar to many on Merseyside.

He arrived in the Bundesliga in the 2024-25 season and has since become a mainstay for Mainz, racking up 84 appearances in all competitions. Of those, 80 have come in his natural role as a defensive midfielder.

Last season brought a clear step forward. Sano contributed seven goals in the 2025-26 campaign, an impressive return for a player operating in front of the back four and a sign that he offers more than just interceptions and simple passes.

Drop him into Liverpool’s squad and the picture sharpens. He profiles as the kind of player who would go head-to-head with Ryan Gravenberch for minutes, adding steel and structure while still carrying a threat on the ball. Under Iraola, who demands aggression, discipline and bravery in possession, Sano looks like the type who could thrive.

But every signing comes with trade-offs.

Sano would not help Liverpool’s homegrown quota. If he arrived as a replacement for Curtis Jones, the club would still need another midfielder to keep their numbers in line with Premier League and UEFA regulations. That means more work, more money, and more decisions in a market where every move feels expensive.

Liverpool’s summer was supposed to be bold. So far, it has been cautious, almost hesitant. The money is there. The targets are clear. Mainz have drawn their line in the sand over Kaishu Sano.

Now the question is simple: will Liverpool cross it, or watch another window drift by with their midfield still one big signing short?