Bayern Munich’s acquisition of Sacha Boey was, to a certain extent, clearly borne out of panic as both Konrad Laimer and Joshua Kimmich got hurt, Bayern was left without a right-back and the club rushed to get the then-Galatasaray right-back signed before another competitive match against Augsburg was played. This rush caused Bayern to pay more than the rumored required fee for Boey and, to add insult to injury, they were not even able to register the Frenchman for the game against Augsburg. Boey then started one game, getting embarrassed out of position on the left against Bayer Leverkusen, before a run of injuries started that has seen him barely play for Bayern at all, to this day.
After all this, why would I believe Boey will still succeed at Bayern? Because Boey is a phenomenal talent with the ideal professional attitude. Remember his performances against Bayern in the Champions League, where he was arguably the best player on the pitch both times? Despite not getting the chance to show that quality in Munich due to injuries, Boey has a phenomenal blend of speed and power. Combined with a really great sense of positioning both in attack and defense, great timing in the tackle and a solid enough quality on the ball, he has a lot of qualities reminiscent of Alphonso Davies on the left. Given that the Canadian is currently a starter at Bayern and hunted by Real Madrid, having another Davies on the right is hardly a bad thing. Boey has already shown glimpses of real quality at Bayern when half-fit. Imagine what he could do when fully fit and with momentum on his side.
Besides, despite what the injuries may lead one to believe, Boey also takes care of himself really well (something Davies probably could learn from, considering his late night Twitch streams and tipsy driving habits). He developed a reputation for his amazing work ethic and smart attitude at Galatasaray. People at Galatasaray were initially critical of him and thought he was too slight to play in the tough Turkish league, so he spent a lot of his free time in the gym and impressed the coaches by bulking up in no time flat. He improved so much that he went from a candidate for sale in the summer of 2022, seen as a bit of a waste of money, to an absolutely undisputed starter and one of the most valuable players on the team.
Galatasaray had to choose between binning him off or staying patient with Boey and were handsomely rewarded for choosing the latter option. Now Bayern needs to make the same decision. Boey’s hard work was already on display for Bayern fans as the Frenchman returned two weeks ahead of schedule from his meniscus injury earlier this season. Despite Boey’s repeated setbacks that would devastate most players, he keeps working hard and showing admirable spirit to come back from his injuries as soon as possible.
Sure, he might still not work out in Munich. He has his weaknesses: He can be a bit naïve in one-on-one duels, he is not very imaginative on the ball and he is a One Piece fan. The latter is the worst weakness of them all. Additionally, if he cannot overcome his injuries at all and he continues to spend the next months on the treatment table, the club will have no choice but to let him go. But there are still 6 months left in the season and, if Boey can finally shake off his injury worries, I would back him to shock Bayern fans with genuinely impressive performances. Let us see what Boey can do for that period of time before he is written off.
