Bayern Munich have signed Sacha Boey ahead of reported interest from Arsenal, but that could still be good news for the Gunners.
Over the weekend, Bayern Munich announced the signing of Sacha Boey from Galatasaray, putting an end to a long-running transfer saga for the French defender.
Boey was linked with various clubs throughout 2023 and the January transfer window, including Arsenal, and those links were still going strong as recently as last week.
But Boey has now completed his move to Bayern, and he seemed pleased to do so.
“This is a dream come true for me,” Boey said. “It’s an honour for me to get to play for such a big club like Bayern.
“I’m really looking forward to my new team and getting to play with all these great players in the future.
“As a player, I’m a defender who likes to attack, just as happy being involved up front as in defence.”
The transfer could be good news for Arsenal, indirectly, as it likely ramps up Galatasaray’s interest in signing Cedric Soares this month.
A number of sources in the English media reported last week that Galatasaray were interested in Cedric as a potential replacement for Boey.
Now that the Boey deal is done, that interest may start to look more concrete.
Galatasaray aren’t the only club after Cedric. All sources agree that Besiktas are ready to rival Galatasaray in the race, and James Olley of ESPN had previously reported that Villarreal were in the mix for as well, plus another Turkish club in Trabzonspor.
It could be a busy week for the Arsenal right-back, with a permanent exit now looking more probable than not.
As for Boey, it was never clear whether Arsenal were genuinely in the race to begin with.
Back in October, Fabrizio Romano strongly refuted the claims, writing that Boey has never been close to a move to Arsenal, and there were no negotiations ongoing.
Romano added that the links had been circling since the player joined Stellar agency in the summer, but there’s nothing substantial in them.
Whilst some European sources seemed convinced Arsenal were involved, reliable journalists in the English media never confirmed as much.