With a 31-year-old Nathaniel Clyne and a 33-year-old Joel Ward as his right-back options, Patrick Vieira knows that bringing in fresh legs in the role will be a priority in the next transfer window.
That’s why seeing Crystal Palace being linked with a 22-year-old who is a natural in that position isn’t a surprise, and actually makes a lot of sense.
The man goes by the name of Sacha Boey, who came through the ranks at Rennes in France before heading to Galatasaray in Turkey in 2021 for just over €1m.
He’s developed a lot since, and has caught the eye of a few clubs, including Crystal Palace, with his performances over the past season.
In fact, the Eagles have been linked with him for a while, as we first spotted their name alongside the Frenchman’s last December, when Foot Mercato claimed the London side were very interested in him.
Liverpool were then thrown in the mix, which was a bit less believable considering they have a certain Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Crystal Palace now face new competition.
That’s Marseille, as Jeunes Footeux have an article on Boey on Friday, claiming the Ligue 1 side ‘have not abandoned’ the idea of repatriating the 22-year-old.
Despite the player feeling comfortable in Turkey and potentially renewing his contract, there could be a release clause of €14m in his new deal.
That could be very useful for Crystal Palace, who wouldn’t need to sit down with Galatasaray, as the Premier League side are named in the article as one of the Premier League sides ‘on the case’.
We’ll have to see about that release clause, though, as it rests on Boey renewing at the Süper Lig side, which has yet to happen.