According to Turkish outlet Hurriyet, Arsenal have made an official offer to sign Galatasaray defender Sacha Boey this summer.
The London giants are looking to land a new right-back and Hurriyet report that Arsenal recently held talks with Galatasaray vice-president Erden Timur over Boey. An official offer of £12 million was made, but there is still a £5 million gap to Galatasaray’s valuation.
Hurriyet claim that Arsenal are expected to increase their bid for Boey, who wants to move to the Premier League. There is a high probability that the 22-year-old will switch clubs during the summer transfer window.
Talent
Arsenal presently have Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Cedric Soares as the right-back options in the first-team squad. White has been the consistent starter, and the Englishman could retain his place next season.
However, there are concerns over the back-up choices. Soares could be sold by Mikel Arteta’s team after spending a season on loan with Fulham. Tomiyasu is currently recovering after picking up a knee injury in March.
Towards the end of last season, manager Mikel Arteta said that he could be out for action for six months. This means that Tomiyasu won’t be available until mid-September, and a setback could extend his return date.
Arsenal have another concern with Tomiyasu expected to report for Asian Cup duty with Japan between January and February next year. This could be key reasons behind their interest in signing Boey from Istanbul.
The Frenchman is strong with his defensive attributes. In the recent season, he completed 79% of his passes and won an outstanding 2.8 tackles and 6.9 duels per appearance, according to Sofascore’s statistics.
The once Stade Rennais graduate also registered 1 goal and 4 assists in the campaign. He could be a handy signing for Arsenal and could be used in the back end of games if White drops his performance levels.
With the main focus on bolstering the midfield department, Arsenal are driving a hard bargain on Boey. They still need to speed up discussions to avoid the possibility of Premier League rivals entering the race.
