Crystal Palace have begun talks with Mainz over midfielder Kaishu Sano on Tuesday. According to Sami Mokbel, the Premier League club have moved after showing late interest, though there remains work to do for any deal to happen.
The contact amounts to active negotiations between the clubs rather than background monitoring. However, no agreement has been reached and the reporting indicates the discussion is still at a developing stage.
Sano, a Japan international who plays in central midfield for the German side, is the subject of Palace’s approach. An eventual transfer would depend on the two clubs settling terms, and there is currently no suggestion that the move is close to completion.
The move towards talks suggests Palace are exploring an addition in midfield, but whether Mainz are prepared to sanction Sano’s departure, and on what terms, remains unclear from the information available. The report adds that further progress would be required before the situation advances.
Key details such as any prospective fee, the structure of a deal or a timeframe have not been disclosed. As is typical at this stage, negotiations could accelerate if common ground is found or cool if differences persist.
For now, the central development is that Palace have entered into discussions with Mainz over Sano. That establishes concrete interest and an open channel between the clubs, but it falls short of an agreement or a completed transfer.