Man City and PSG plot magical move for Ligue 1 wizard
Tom Weber
- 4 Nov 2023 09:28 CDT
- 3 min read
Nantes full-back Quentin Merlin has been working his magic in Ligue 1 and is attracting the attention of Europe's elite.
Having burst onto the scene at age 19, Merlin has gone from strength to strength since. Now a senior member of the Nantes squad and a vital part of Thierry Henry's U21 squad, the 21-year-old has been tearing up the French top flight and earning rave reviews in recent times.
A midfielder by trade, Merlin has been converted to a left-back and is thriving, recently admitting that he has grown to love his new position. However, he recognises that he still has room to improve given that he is not a natural defender.
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"I want to work harder defensively because I still have issues. I'm not the best defender," he acknowledged in a newly released interview with Ligue 1's official website, "and going forwards, I need to give the ball away a lot less given my technical qualities as a former midfielder, but most of all, I want to remain humble and continue performing to help this group progress!"
Europe's elite keen
A whole host of big clubs have begun to take note of his recent outings. Footmercato reported in late October that RB Leipzig and Napoli were among his suitors, while 90min is now claiming that Man City, West Ham, Bayern and PSG are all keen on the youngster.
The two Premier League sides, it is asserted, have sent "representatives to France to watch over Merlin at least once already this season." The full-back is under contract until 2026, so he could command a sizeable fee if interest in acquiring his services were to become more concrete.
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Merlin was a part of the Nantes side that won the Coupe de France in 2022 and he has been vital in the Bretons overcoming their relegation fears and establishing themselves in the top half of Ligue 1.
