Who is Sacha Boey? Bayern sign right-back compared to Trent Alexander-Arnold

Bayern Munich have found a solution for their defensive issues by signing right-back Sacha Boey. Furthermore, the Bundesliga giants have avoided the sort of transfer saga they were involved in last summer when the transfer for João Palhinha failed in the final minutes of the transfer window. According to a release by the Turkish club, Boey will join Bayern from Galatasaray in a deal worth up to €30 million plus an additional €5 million in bonuses. Galatasaray will also receive 50% of the transfer profit of any future transfer and the two clubs will also arrange two friendly games. The 23-year-old Frenchman has signed a contract until 2028. 

The transfer makes Boey the most expensive right-back ever signed by a Bundesliga club. Boey breaks a record set by Nordi Mukiele, who joined RB Leipzig from Montpellier in 2018 in a deal worth €16m. Mukiele has since left Leipzig and joined PSG in 2022. In fact, Mukiele was supposed to be the player that was going to fill the void left at right-back. Complex negotiations with PSG that involved a loan with an option to buy and Bayern’s insistence on not paying more than €15m for Kieran Trippier meant that Boey became the primary candidate for a transfer and Bayern have now quickly to make the Frenchman the most expensive winter signing in club history. 

Boey has steadily increased his market value to €22m over the last few years. No Galatasaray player is currently more valuable. Teammates Mauro Icardi and Tetê have a market value of €20m. Boey also became the most valuable player in Turkey following December’s Süper Lig market value update. The right-winger managed two goals in 31 appearances and was a standout player in the Champions League, where he performed well twice against Bayern—perhaps the decisive factor for his eventual transfer to the Bavarians. “Of course, I am not necessarily happy that Sacha is leaving,” Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk said. “But if there are fees involved that can positively influence the future of the club, then we have a president and a CEO who will have to make an assessment.” 

Sacha Boey to Bayern: “I would compare him with Trent Alexander-Arnold”

Lara Karacan, Transfermarkt Content Manager Turkey, has kept a close eye on Boey’s development at Galatasaray. “He has made a big step forward this season,” Karacan said. “Remarkable because two summers ago, he was supposed to leave Galatasaray because they no longer needed him in the squad. But then they changed their mind, and he has paid it back with ever better performances that have made him the most valuable player in the Süper Lig. 

But what sort of player are Bayern Munich getting in Sacha Boey? “Boey is a very good dribbler, with a tendency to attack but doesn’t shy away from going into dirty duels and will stick with an opponent no matter what,” Karacan said. “He is fast and technically very strong, which was evident in the games against Bayern. In those games, he highlighted that his qualities are not only top in the Süper Lig but also on a world-class level. I would somewhat compare him with Trent Alexander-Arnold.” Numbers from Wyscout underline Karacan’s observation. Boey is third in the Süper Lig with 189 duels and ranks sixth among defensive players with 57.45% successful dribbles. 

Karacan, however, believes that Boey is nowhere near the top of his potential. “He is still young and dedicated to improving,” Karacan said. “He never had true ups and downs in terms of form at Gala, was always very constant—you know what you get.” Playing at one of Turkey’s biggest clubs also means Boey will be unfazed by the pressure at Bayern. “But he might take some time to get used to a new country and culture—that is always something to consider,” Karacan said. “He needed about a year to get used to Gala, but at the same time, he was younger then, and it was his first time abroad.”