Manchester United have a second shot at signing an “exceptional” French defender after failing to secure his services during the 2024 summer transfer window.
Manchester United are expected to prioritise defensive reinforcements in the summer transfer window as Rúben Amorim looks to solidify his backline.
The club added to their ranks in January, signing young centre-back Ayden Heaven from Arsenal and wing-back Patrick Dorgu from Lecce. However, defensive concerns persist, with Lisandro Martínez now sidelined until November.
Several exits are anticipated in the summer. Victor Lindelöf will depart when his contract expires in June, while Jonny Evans is also likely to move on.
Meanwhile, uncertainty surrounds the futures of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia. Shaw has not started for United in almost a year due to injuries, while Malacia, currently on loan at PSV, is not in Amorim’s long-term plans.
United have second shot at Sacha Boey transfer
In the summer 2024 transfer window, United were looking to sign a new right-back for Erik ten Hag amid the departure of Aaron Wan-Bissaka to West Ham and landed on bringing in Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich.
However, with Amorim now at the helm, Mazraoui has shown he’s better suited to playing as a right centre-back in the back three, and after Diogo Dalot has failed to impress on the right, United may dive back into the market for a new right wing-back this summer.
Before United signed Mazraoui, they were reportedly keeping tabs on Galatasaray right-back Sacha Boey after impressing against them in the Champions League, but the Old Trafford club failed to secure him and he left to Bayern for £25 million to replace Mazraoui.
However, according to German transfer expert, Boey is now potentially on the market this summer, giving United another shot at the 24-year-old Frenchman.
It is stated that, with Boey failing to nail down a place at the Bundesliga club, they now see Josip Stanisic and Konrad Laimer as the first-choice options at right-back, meaning they are open to seeing Boey depart.
Would Boey fit in Amorim’s wing-back system?
Obviously, the club now play a very different game model from the last time they took a serious look at Boey, with Amorim deploying a back five instead of Ten Hag’s more traditional back four.
However, Breaking The Lines‘ analysis of Boey before his move to Bayern details how Boey, who has an “exceptional skill-set” at his disposal, shows that the player has a range of abilities that Amorim may appreciate.
The 24-year-old “is already comparable to many of the game’s elite across Europe’s big five leagues,” and during his time at Galatasaray, sat right in the top percentiles for key tackles, clearances, aerial battles won and successful blocks made per 90 minutes, showing he knows how to defend.
Further, the player “craves the ball” and is always looking to bomb forward. He is comfortable in possession and “regularly works to receive possession in progressive areas,” meaning he may have fantastic attributes to fit within the 3-4-3 set-up at Old Trafford.
United are yet to be concretely linked to Boey, but considering their needs this summer and the willingness of Bayern to discuss a potential exit, don’t be surprised if you see links emerge in the coming months.
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