Quentin Merlin

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Quentin Merlin
Merlin asse om 2425 cdf.png
Merlin with Marseille in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-05-16) 16 May 2002 (age 23)
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
 Rennes
Number 3
Youth career
2008–2012 FC Goélands Samaritains
2012–2013 Nantes
2013–2015 Pornic Foot
2015–2021 Nantes
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2020–2023 Nantes B 10 (1)
2021–2024 Nantes 68 (3)
2024–2025 Marseille 37 (1)
2025– Rennes 0 (0)
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)
2022–2025 France U21 19 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17 May 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of 25 June 2025

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 Rennes.

Contents

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. [2] [3] [4]

Club career

Nantes

Merlin with Nantes in 2024 Quentin Merlin FC Nantes 2023.jpeg
Merlin with Nantes in 2024

In January 2021, Merlin was selected by Nantes manager Raymond Domenech several times in the professional squad. [2] [5] [6] 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. [7]

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. [8] Antoine Kombouaré succeeded him in the manager position. [9]

On 19 March 2021, Merlin signed his first professional contract with Nantes. [10] On 19 February 2022, he scored his first goal in a 3–1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain. [11] He achieved his first title with the club by winning the Coupe de France. [12]

Marseille

On 26 January 2024, Merlin moved to fellow Ligue 1 side Marseille, having agreed a contract until 2028. [13] The transfer fee paid to Nantes was reported as €12 million. [13] In the latter stages of the 2023–24 season, he became part of the team which reached the Europa League semi-finals. [14]

Rennes

On 21 July 2025, Merlin signed with Ligue 1 side Rennes, signing a four-year deal. [15]

International career

Merlin is a youth international for France. [3] [4]

Career statistics

As of match played 17 May 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague Coupe de France EuropeTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Nantes B 2020–21 National 2 70——70
2021–22 National 211——11
2022–23 National 220——20
Total101——101
Nantes 2020–21 Ligue 1 0010—10
2021–22 Ligue 128250—332
2022–23 Ligue 1241104 [a] 0291
2023–24 Ligue 116020—180
Total6839040810
Marseille 2023–24 Ligue 1100—7 [a] 0170
2024–25 Ligue 127100—271
Total3710070441
Career total1155901101355
  1. 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Nantes

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Quentin Merlin". FC Nantes. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 "FC Nantes - RC Lens. Quentin Merlin s'invite en Coupe de France". Ouest-France (in French). 10 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  3. 1 2 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.
  4. 1 2 "Quentin Merlin". Fédération Française de Football (in French). Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ "Nantes : premier groupe professionnel pour Quentin Merlin et Abdoulaye Sylla". Actufoot (in French). 10 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  7. ↑ Buet, Christopher (10 February 2021). "Résultat et résumé Nantes - Lens, Coupe de France, 32es de finale". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  8. ↑ Léger-Moëc, Aurélien (10 February 2021). "Nantes : Raymond Domenech a appris son éviction à 17h15". Foot Mercato (in French). Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  9. ↑ "Kombouaré replaces Domenech at Nantes". Ligue1. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  10. ↑ "Premier contrat professionnel pour Quentin Merlin". FC Nantes. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  11. ↑ "Merlin conjures the magic for Nantes against PSG". Ligue 1. 19 February 2022.
  12. 1 2 "COUPE DE FRANCE 2021 - 2022 - FINALE". fff.fr. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  13. 1 2 "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.
  14. ↑ "Atalanta 3-0 Marseille (agg: 4-1): Italian side reach first European final". UEFA. 9 May 2024.
  15. ↑ "Quentin Merlin, nouvel atout Rouge et Noir" [Quentin Merlin, the new Red and Black asset] (in French). Stade Rennais FC. 21 July 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  16. ↑ "2025 Under-21 EURO Team of the Tournament". UEFA . 1 July 2025. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
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