Sacha Boey: Arsenal's £20m-rated transfer target who is destined for the Premier League

Boey was born and raised in Montreuil, France, although he is of Cameroonian descent. He started out playing youth football with Romainville before joining Paris-based Red Star, the fourth-oldest professional club in France.

Boey spent two years in the youth ranks at Red Star before he was picked up by the Rennes academy, moving there at the age of 14.

Boey's big break came as an 18-year-old, when he was handed his senior debut for Rennes towards the end of the 2018-19 season. After impressing within the academy, the young defender was brought on as a second-half substitute during a a 2-2 draw at Toulouse in Ligue 1.

After that, he was on the bench for the final two games of the campaign and then went on to become a more established member of the squad the following season, although a series of injuries did disrupt his progress slightly.

Boey is coming off the back of a hugely impressive season with Galatasaray. He made the move to Turkey in 2021 after taking the decision to leave France following a successful loan spell away from Rennes with Dijon.

Boey's first season with Galatasaray was one of adaptation. He started well before an injury towards the end of September saw him sidelined for more than three months. It was a blow for him and for the club, but he returned in the New Year and produced some fine performances during the second half of his debut season in Turkey, most notably against Barcelona in the Champions League.

There were then suggestions Boey could leave Galatasaray last summer, with a potential move to Italy lined up. But after starting the season in fine fashion, he kept his place in the team and went on to become one the most influential players in the starting XI from the right-back role.

Boey is known for his ability in one-on-one situations. He is excellent when it comes to winning his duels and the rapid recovery pace he possesses means he can recover exceptionally whenever a winger does manage to get the better of him.

He is physically strong and good in the air, while he also reads the game well and likes to get forward on the overlap. He's very much out of the traditional full-back mould. Someone who will look to hug the touchline when attacking and get down to the byline before putting a ball in.

He certainly has all the attributes of a player who could succeed in the Premier League.

He has all the attributes needed to be a top quality full-back: a great engine so he can get up and down the pitch well, is strong in transition, excellent one-on-one and reads the game expertly. But he is seen as a player who can certainly still improve technically.

When he gets forward and finds himself in good positions, his crossing can let him down. His final delivery is lacking at times, so technically there is plenty of room for improvement. Like most young players, Boey can certainly improve on his decision-making, too.

Sagna was a superb right-back for Arsenal during his time in north London, and there are similarities in the way both players operate. Sagna's biggest strength was his ability to defend one-on-one situations, and very few wingers used to get the better of him due to his strength, his ability to read the game and his quality when competing in aerial duels. The same can be said for Boey.

Like Sagna, Boey can perhaps offer a bit more in terms of his final-third contributions, but you expect that would be something that will improve with top-quality coaching and a move to a higher-quality league.

Sagna is also a known admirer of Boey, as he admitted during an interview with Turkish media earlier in the year. "Sacha is a player I really like," said the Frenchman. "I think he will fit perfectly into Arsenal. As a right-back too, I have to say I think he’s great. I’m sure many clubs have Sacha Boey in mind. There is a contract to sign."

Boey is expected to move on this summer. Galatasaray are sounding out interested parties ahead of a move and have held talks with several clubs, including Arsenal, about the in-demand full-back. A move to the Premier League looks highly likely, with the Turkish outfit hoping to receive up to £20m ($25m) for the defender. Whether that would be a price tag that Arsenal, or anyone else, would meet, however, remains to be seen.

Boey also needs to a make a decision on his international future. He was born in France, but does qualify for Cameroon, and Indomitable Lions boss Rigobert Song has held talks with him in a bid to get him to commit to the African country. Boey is yet to make a decision, however, as he continues to weigh up his options.

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