Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich believe they have signed a defender ‘with a lot of potential’ as the one-time Arsenal and Celtic target Sacha Boey joins in a potential £30 million deal from Galatasaray.
It is three years since Sacha Boey put pen to paper with Galatasaray, turning down the chance to follow in the footsteps of Virgil van Dijk, Odsonne Edouard and co at a Celtic side who had set their sights on another up-and-coming, under-the-radar talent from across the Channel.
“Yes, Celtic wanted to sign me,” Boey said at the time, setting the Turkish giants back just £2.2 million at the time.
Flash forward to January 2024 and, while there is obviously disappointment at Boey’s departure – especially with the Super Lig title on the line – Galatasaray can at least console themselves with a financial profit far in excess of £20 million.
Sacha Boey swaps Galatasaray for Bayern Munich
The right-back spot has been something of a problem position for Bayern Munich in recent seasons, Noussair Mazraoui, Bouna Sarr and Joao Cancelo struggling to fill a position once held down by the legendary Philipp Lahm.
The task now falls on Boey’s shoulders, Bayern finalising a deal rising to £30 million for the Frenchman two-and-a-half years after Celtic’s own pursuit ended in disappointment.
“We’re pleased to have signed a young player with a lot of potential on a long-term deal in Sacha Boey,” Jan-Christian Dreesen, Bayern’s CEO, tells the club’s official website.
“He performed really well in both Champions League games against us. It means we haven’t just improved our squad depth but also added further quality.”
“Sacha Boey is a very quick and physically strong right-back, who covers a lot of ground in every game and doesn’t shy away from any tackles,” adds sporting director Christoph Freund.
“He was a fan favourite at Galatasaray, has developed very well down the years, arrives with Champions League experience and won the league title with Galatasaray last season. He will increase our quality in defence.”
‘Meetings between Galatasaray and Arsenal’
HITC Football understands that Bayern turned their attention to Boey – who was also on Arsenal’s radar last summer – after hitting a brick wall in their pursuit of Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier and PSG’s Nordi Mukiele.
“I had contact with various clubs,” Boey recently told French publication CARRÉ. “These clubs also contacted Galatasaray. There were opportunities for me to go to the Premier League, some meetings between Galatasaray administrators and Arsenal officials.
“There was an interest, but there was no official offer.”
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