Galatasaray have placed former star Sacha Boey at the heart of their transfer push as they begin the 2025-26 season chasing a fourth straight Turkish Super Lig crown and a deeper run in Europe.
The Yellow-Reds started their campaign with a confident win, but head coach Okan Buruk’s attention quickly shifted to a glaring vacancy at right-back and the 24-year-old French defender is top of the list.
Boey’s first spell in Istanbul, from 2021 to 2024, transformed him from a promising Stade Rennais recruit into one of Europe’s most dynamic full-backs.
Signed for 1.15 million euros ($1.34 million), he became a mainstay in Buruk’s high-pressing, wing-driven system, making 83 appearances, scoring four goals, supplying five assists, and helping deliver two league titles and a Turkish Cup.
His pace, tackling precision, and attacking surges made him a fan favorite, and in January 2024, Bayern Munich paid 30 million euros to take him to the Bundesliga.
But his time in Bavaria has been plagued by injury. A hamstring tear soon after arrival limited him to just two league games in his debut half-season.
In 2024-25, ankle and muscle setbacks restricted him to 12 Bundesliga matches – eight starts – without a goal or assist.
Even so, his limited minutes produced solid metrics: a 90% pass completion rate, 2.5 tackles per game, and strong aerial duels.
Under Bayern’s new manager, Vincent Kompany, however, competition from Joshua Kimmich and fresh signings has left him on the fringes.
With Bayern open to trimming their squad before the September transfer deadline, Galatasaray have moved quickly.
According to sources, they have reached a preliminary agreement with Bayern and offered Boey a net salary of 3.5 million euros per year to return.
Negotiations intensified last week in a “flash meeting” between Galatasaray executives and Boey’s representatives.
The urgency follows the Aug. 5 departure of Polish international Przemyslaw Frankowski, who joined Stade Rennais on a 1 1-year loan with a 6 million euro purchase option.
Signed from RC Lens earlier in the summer, the 30-year-old brought more than 100 Ligue 1 appearances’ worth of experience but never fully adapted to Buruk’s tactics.
His exit left Galatasaray short in a position critical to their pressing system.
Boey’s familiarity with the Süper Lig, his on-field chemistry with stars like Mauro Icardi and his tactical fit make him the clear priority.
Still, the move faces obstacles.
Boey has publicly said he feels “absolutely at home” in Munich and remains determined to prove himself in the Bundesliga.
Sunderland, Olympique Marseille, and other clubs have also shown interest, and Bayern’s sporting director Max Eberl confirmed in April that no official bid had been lodged at that time.
For Galatasaray’s supporters, the possible reunion stirs mixed emotions – the excitement of bringing home a proven winner against the concern that returning could slow Boey’s ambitions of staying at the top tier of European football.
With a Champions League group stage looming and a high-stakes derby against Fenerbahçe on the horizon, the next few weeks could decide whether this story becomes a nostalgic homecoming or a missed opportunity.
Content Source: www.dailysabah.com