Everton nearly secured the signing of Bayern Munich right-back Sacha Boey during the summer transfer window, according to German football specialist Christian Falk.
Falk made the claim on the FC Bayern Insider website, revealing that the Toffees held concrete talks with the German giants over a potential deal for the 25-year-old.
Boey first attracted widespread attention through a series of impressive performances for Galatasaray, earning him a move to one of Europe’s most prestigious clubs.
Bayern Munich were sufficiently impressed by his displays to purchase him a couple of years ago, bringing the French defender to the Allianz Arena.
During his time in Bavaria, Boey experienced team success, winning both a Bundesliga title and a German Super Cup alongside his teammates.
Despite those honours, the right-back failed to truly establish himself and cement a regular starting role at the club.
Bayern sent Boey back to Galatasaray on loan in January to give him consistent playing time, and he went on to win the Turkish Super Lig title last campaign.
With the German club hoping to offload the defender this summer, Hamburg and Fulham were also reported to have registered interest before Everton emerged as the frontrunners.
Everton’s need for a reliable right-back has been a persistent issue, with centre-back Jake O’Brien filling in at the position last season despite that not being his natural role.
Midfielder James Garner also contributed at right-back at times to provide support, highlighting just how stretched Everton’s options have been in that area of the pitch.
The revelation that the Merseyside club came so close to landing Boey will likely frustrate supporters, given how heavily the position has been patched over in recent seasons.