Kaishu Sano’s importance to Mainz will be crucial in their bid to avoid relegation, but will he remain at the club next season?

• The central midfielder has featured in every Bundesliga minute so far this season

• Sano leads the league in interceptions, but has also contributed significantly in possession right across the pitch

• Mainz’s new coach Urs Fischer is likely to bring a tactical approach that will benefit Sano’s playing style

As the Bundesliga resumes this weekend after its winter break, there is no doubt that Japanese midfielder Kaishu Sano will be crucial for Mainz 05 as they look to climb from the foot of the table in their bid to avoid relegation.

Sano joined the club in 2024 for an estimated fee of 2.5m Euros, and his performances have seen his estimated value rise to 25m Euros (source: Transfermarkt). 

The club exceeded expectations last season with a sixth place finish, but this season hasn’t seen the same results as they have balanced domestic competition with European football, along with the departure of key player Jonathan Burkadt to Eintracht Frankfurt.

This latest Kognia analysis focuses on Sano’s performances, and looks to better explain what specifically has led to the significant increase in his valuation.

Sano is a significant defensive contributor

Sano’s importance and influence to this Mainz team cannot be underestimated. That he’s played every minute for the team this season speaks volumes in itself, but his output - particularly on the defensive side of the ball - has been crucial, and Mainz would undoubtedly find themselves in a worse position without Sano.

This is reinforced as we can see that Sano leads the Mainz team this season when it comes to:

1. Defensive ball-in-contest duels

2. Interceptions in the attacking third

3. Interceptions in the middle third

4. Pressure on the ball possessor

5. Ball recoveries

There are few players in the Bundesliga better at winning back the ball

Below we visualise Sano’s player profile - initially applying the Kognia template for a defensive midfielder, but also utilising the ability to appropriately customise the metrics on display, whereby we have added data regarding pressuring the ball possessor.

What stands out in particular is Sano’s interceptions and ball recoveries, in which he ranks extremely highly across the Bundesliga.

Focusing now on interceptions, we can delve further into the Kognia platform and see that Sano is making these across all areas of the pitch.

Sano’s 36 interceptions (at the time of writing) this season ranks him first in the Bundesliga. In addition, no player in the Premier League or La Liga - two of Europe’s other leading competitions - has made more interceptions this season than the Japanese international.

Sano’s consistency is huge strength

As mentioned already in this article, Sano’s ability to be available for selection is an attribute in itself. In addition, we can compare the midfielder’s contribution this season so far (in purple) to last season when Mainz finished sixth, where we see an almost identical output.

What does Sano offer in possession?

Sano’s impact out of possession is clear, but now we can assess his on-the-ball qualities for a Mainz side that has averaged 46% of possession this season.

A look at his data profile (shown above) illustrates that Sano manages to transfer his hard-working, energetic style against the ball, to possession phases as well. In this case, the tactical metrics displayed illustrate Sano’s contributions all over the pitch.

His attentive and high-energy style of play means that he is frequently winning second balls (94th percentile after direct play, and 82nd percentile after a cross). 

Showing Sano’s box-to-box characteristics, Sano also ranks highly (86th percentile) for striker support - a Kognia metric illustrating how he makes himself available to the player in possession who is highest up the pitch.

Kaishu Sano has proven himself to be an indispensable player for Mainz 05 since joining, with his exceptional defensive output and high-energy, box-to-box presence significantly contributing to the team. His consistent performances have been directly reflected in his significant rise in market valuation. As Mainz battles relegation, Sano's form will be vital, but his soaring profile inevitably raises the question of whether the club can retain his services beyond the current season.