In an exclusive interview with Carre, Galatasaray defender Sacha Boey has revealed that Arsenal were interested in signing him during last summer’s transfer window.
The 23-year-old is one of the best performing right-backs in the Turkish top-flight and he was frequently linked with a move to the Premier League last summer. Boey has now confirmed that he had contacts with several clubs, who also spoke with Galatasaray.
The Frenchman added that there were some meetings between officials at Galatasaray and Arsenal. While there was an interest from the Gunners, they did not proceed with an official offer to sign him.
He said: “I had contacts with various clubs. These clubs also contacted Galatasaray. There were opportunities for me to go to the Premier League. There were some meetings between Galatasaray administrators and Arsenal officials. There was an interest, but there was no official offer.”
Quality player
Boey has been on the radar of elite European clubs over the past year. He has caught the eye with his defensive contributions as well as his ability to make progressive passes into the final 3rd. The ex-Rennes man also has the ability to deliver quality long balls and he could pursue a bigger challenge away from Galatasaray soon.
Arsenal were widely linked with him in the last transfer window, but they did not proceed with an offer. They signed Jurrien Timber instead, but the Dutchman is currently out with a long-term knee injury. The former Ajax star won’t return for most of the current season, but the Gunners may still not invest on another right-back.
They have Ben White as the undisputed starter in the role and he has been injury-free throughout his Arsenal career. When required, manager Mikel Arteta has chosen to play Takehiro Tomiyasu ahead of the Englishman. Instead of a new right-back, the club could weigh up a move for a genuine goalscoring striker this winter.
