Aston Villa ‘line up’ French youth defender to join Boubacar Kamara

Aston Villa confirmed the signing of Boubacar Kamara last month and they are now said to be lining up a move for another Frenchman in Quentin Merlin.

According to The Sunday Mirror, the Birmingham club discovered the Nantes defender while scouting Kamara and are now interested in bringing him to the Premier League.

Merlin joined Nantes’ academy at 13 years old and made his debut for the senior team in February 2021, a month before signing his first professional contract with the club.

At only 20 years old, Merlin has heaps of potential and could be seen as the perfect defensive reinforcement for Steven Gerrard.

The former Liverpool captain is eager to bolster his defence and has already added Diego Carlos to his ranks, while Merlin could add more competition for the likes of Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings.

Villa have enjoyed a brilliant transfer window so far after bringing in the ex-Sevilla defender and Kamara, as well as Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen signing permanent deals.

Villa aren’t alone in their pursuit of Merlin however and will face competition from many clubs around Europe.