Quentin Merlin

Quentin Merlin

Merlin with Nantes in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth	(2002-05-16) 16 May 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth	Nantes, France
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Position(s)	Left-back, left wing-back
Team information
Current team	Marseille
Number	3
Youth career
2008–2012	FC Goélands Samaritains
2012–2013	Nantes
2013–2015	Pornic Foot
2015–2021	Nantes
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2020–2023	Nantes B	10	(1)
2021–2024	Nantes	68	(3)
2024–	Marseille	18	(1)
International career^‡
2017–2018	France U16	3	(0)
2018–2019	France U17	6	(1)
2019–2020	France U18	3	(0)
2021	France U20	3	(0)
2022–	France U21	9	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 December 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 October 2023

Quentin Merlin (born 16 May 2002) is a French professional footballer who plays as a left-back or left wing-back for Ligue 1 club Marseille.^[2]

Early life

Born in Nantes, Merlin grew up in Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer, in a family with Méricourtois origins. Football-wise, he was formed in Brittany, between the towns of Nantes and Pornic.^[3][4][5]

Club career

Nantes

In January 2021, Merlin was selected by Nantes manager Raymond Domenech several times in the professional squad.^[3][6][7] He eventually made his professional debut for Nantes on 10 February 2021, coming on as a half-time substitute for Ludovic Blas in a 4–2 Coupe de France loss to Lens.^[8]

The manager who selected Merlin for the game was not on the bench as the young player entered the field, Domenech having been tested positive for COVID-19, and eventually learning he had been fired right after the Lens game.^[9] Antoine Kombouaré succeeded him in the manager position.^[10]

On 19 March 2021, Merlin signed his first professional contract with Nantes.^[11] On 19 February 2022, he scored his first goal in a 3–1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain.^[12] He achieved his first title with the club by winning the Coupe de France.^[13]

Marseille

On 26 January 2024, Merlin moved to fellow Ligue 1 side Marseille, having agreed a contract until 2028.^[14] The transfer fee paid to Nantes was reported as €12 million.^[14] In the latter stages of the 2023–24 season, he became part of the team which reached the Europa League semi-finals.^[15]

International career

Merlin is a youth international for France.^[4][5]

Career statistics

As of match played 14 December 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Nantes B	2020–21	National 2	7	0	—		—		—		7	0
	2021–22	National 2	1	1	—		—		—		1	1
	2022–23	National 2	2	0	—		—		—		2	0
	Total		10	1	—		—		—		10	1
Nantes	2020–21	Ligue 1	0	0	1	0	—		0	0	1	0
	2021–22	Ligue 1	28	2	5	0	—		—		33	2
	2022–23	Ligue 1	24	1	1	0	4[a]	0	0	0	29	1
	2023–24	Ligue 1	16	0	2	0	—		—		18	0
	Total		68	3	9	0	4	0	0	0	81	0
Marseille	2023–24	Ligue 1	10	0	—		7[a]	0	—		17	0
	2024–25	Ligue 1	8	1	0	0	0	0	—		8	1
	Total		18	1	0	0	7	0	—		25	1
Career total			96	5	9	0	11	0	0	0	116	5

1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Nantes

• Coupe de France: 2021–22^[13]
• Trophée des Champions runner-up: 2022

References

1. "Quentin Merlin". FC Nantes. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022.
2. Quentin Merlin at Soccerway
3. "FC Nantes - RC Lens. Quentin Merlin s'invite en Coupe de France". Ouest-France (in French). 10 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
4. Brochet, Guillaume (24 September 2018). "Equipe de France U17 : avec Quentin Merlin ancien du Pôle Espoirs !". Ligue de Football des Pays de la Loire (in French). Retrieved 10 February 2021.
5. "Quentin Merlin". Fédération Française de Football (in French). Retrieved 10 February 2021.
6. Aubert, Bastien (10 February 2021). "FC Nantes : qui est Quentin Merlin, la pépite sur qui craque Raymond Domenech ?". But! Football Club (in French). Retrieved 10 February 2021.
7. "Nantes : premier groupe professionnel pour Quentin Merlin et Abdoulaye Sylla". Actufoot (in French). 10 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
8. Buet, Christopher (10 February 2021). "Résultat et résumé Nantes - Lens, Coupe de France, 32es de finale". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 10 February 2021.
9. Léger-Moëc, Aurélien (10 February 2021). "Nantes : Raymond Domenech a appris son éviction à 17h15". Foot Mercato (in French). Retrieved 10 February 2021.
10. "Kombouaré replaces Domenech at Nantes". Ligue1. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
11. "Premier contrat professionnel pour Quentin Merlin". FC Nantes. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
12. "Merlin conjures the magic for Nantes against PSG". Ligue 1. 19 February 2022.
13. "COUPE DE FRANCE 2021 - 2022 - FINALE". fff.fr. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
14. "Mercato : Quentin Merlin transféré officiellement de Nantes à l'OM" [Mercato: Quentin Merlin officially transferred from Nantes to OM] (in French). L'Équipe. 26 January 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
15. "Atalanta 3-0 Marseille (agg: 4-1): Italian side reach first European final". UEFA. 9 May 2024.

External links

• Profile at the Olympique de Marseille website
• Quentin Merlin at the French Football Federation (in French)
• Quentin Merlin – UEFA competition record (archive)