Romano provides latest on Man Utd & Arsenal's pursuit of France star

Cameron Smith

• 19 Dec 2023 11:05 CST
• 3 min read

Arsenal and Manchester United are both interested in signing Galatasaray right-back Sacha Boey, but neither club have begun concrete talks for the Frenchman, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Boey, 23, has been one of Galatasaray’s most reliable performers since arriving from Rennes in 2021 and his form in Turkey has attracted the attention of Premier League suitors.

Mikel Arteta and Erik ten Hag have both registered their desire to add Boey to their ranks at Arsenal and Man Utd, but a potential move is not particularly advanced, Romano has confirmed.

He told his CaughtOffside column: “Sacha Boey has been linked with United, having also been reported as a target for Arsenal in the past, but I’ve never been informed of anything close or concrete. There is interest in him, of course, but it’s nothing serious yet.”

Arsenal currently have Benjamin White, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jurrien Timber capable of playing at right-back, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot are on Man Utd’s books in that same position.

However, Boey is seen as a viable transfer target by both clubs, even if they haven’t proposed an offer to Galatasaray.

The Frenchman last represented his country in 2019, when he played 90 minutes for France’s U20s against Slovenia, but his progression at Galatasaray has been immense and he may well be in line for a senior call-up if he does end up joining Arsenal or Man Utd.

Manchester United’s January transfer plans

According to the aforementioned Romano: “There have been reports that Ten Hag wants three signings – a centre-back, midfielder, and a striker.

“My information on a defender has been there for some time, it’s nothing new. Midfield is not something guaranteed yet, and the same for the striker, which will largely depend on whether or not Anthony Martial leaves.”

Martial, 28, is contracted to the Old Trafford club until the end of the 2023-24 season, but there have been some reports suggesting he may leave six months early.