Arsenal reportedly retain an interest in Galatasaray right-back Sacha Boey, although Manchester United are also attentive to the Frenchman’s situation.
Arsenal reportedly remain attentive to the situation of Galatasaray right-back Sacha Boey after scouting the Frenchman over the summer.
Boey was strongly linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium for the 2023-24 season, but the Gunners instead struck a £38.5m deal with Ajax for Jurrien Timber.
The Dutchman was brought in to play as a right-back, despite his central exploits in the Eredivisie, but his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest in August was cruelly cut short by an ACL injury.
Timber – who lasted just shy of 50 minutes at the Emirates on that day – is now at risk of missing the remainder of the season, although Mikel Arteta still has Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Cedric Soares available to play on the right.
However, Cedric – who is yet to make a Premier League appearance this season – is expected to leave the club when his deal expires in the summer, while Tomiyasu has struggled to stay fit since joining from Bologna in 2021.
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Thomas Partey was also trialled as a right-back at the start of the new term, but that experiment went awry for Arteta, and the Ghanaian quickly reverted to his midfield position.
Ahead of Cedric’s anticipated departure in 2024, Turkish outlet Fotospor claims that Arsenal remain hot on the trail of Boey, who has enjoyed a phenomenal start to the campaign with Galatasaray.
The 23-year-old has started all 17 of Galatasaray’s fixtures this season, scoring one goal in a 2-2 Champions League draw with Copenhagen and playing the full 90 in a subsequent 3-2 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Boey is also yet to miss a game for Okan Buruk‘s side in the Turkish Super Lig season, where Galatasaray have taken 25 points from their first 27 on offer, beating Besiktas 2-1 on Saturday for their eighth win on the trot.
The report claims that Arsenal were one of a number of teams to have had representatives in attendance for that game, which was also attended by Brighton & Hove Albion, Man United and Burnley scouts.
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In addition, clubs from Italy and Spain are believed to have been running the rule over Boey, who came through the Rennes youth system and also spent the 2020-21 season on loan at Dijon before making the move to Turkey.
Galatasaray paid just €1.15m (£1m) to prise Boey away from Roazhon Park in 2021, and the Frenchman has since registered three goals and four assists from 69 games for the Super Lig giants.
The former France Under-20 international remains under contract with Galatasaray until the end of the 2024-25 season, but it is unclear whether an extension is in the pipeline amid links with a Premier League switch.
In contrast, Arsenal’s first-choice right-back White has confirmed that he wants to sign a new deal with the Gunners, who have the England international under contract until the summer of 2026.
Talks with White’s entourage are believed to be moving in the right direction and all parties are confident of a positive outcome, as White joins fellow key young players such as Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Gabriel Martinelli and Aaron Ramsdale in penning fresh terms.
