West Ham hold a strong interest in French left back Quentin Merlin, it has been reported by ExWHUEmployee.

Merlin is a hot prospect in Ligue 1, he has been key to Nantes recent success. In 2022 they won the Coupe De France for the first time since 2000 and this year they are fighting for European football.

The left-back has been improving game by game and is now in contention for a call to the French national team. His excellent form hasn’t just caught the attention of Les Blues though, many clubs around Europe have now got their eyes on the youngster.

Our own club insider ExWHUemployee confirmed the Hammer’s interest on The West Ham Way Podcast as we look to add depth to our foundations.

While Emerson has been in brilliant form, we could be in trouble if he picks up an injury. Both Aaron Cresswell and Ben Johnson have fallen out of favour in East London and both are on contracts that expire in the Summer. 

With Tim Steidten and David Moyes making it clear they have a goal of mixing experience with young talents, it is clear why they would identify Merlin as a target.

However, as expected, when a player is performing so well at such a high level it is no surprise that some of the big clubs are sniffing around him with reports stating the likes of Manchester City, Bayern Munich and PSG are all considering a move for the 21-year-old. 

Fortunately for Nantes, they have him tied down on a contract until 2026 so they will be in no rush to sell their star-boy unless they get an offer that they deem suitable. 

As ever, Merlin is bound to be just one of many possible full-backs that Tim Steidten and co are evaluating ahead of the January window. If the club do decide to get a bid accepted ahead of other teams, they will really have to sell the project to the player to get him to favour a move to the London Stadium over some of the biggest teams in Europe.

That being said, West Ham managed to sign one of the biggest prospects in football when they purchased Mohammed Kudus from Ajax, who’s to say that it can’t be done again? 

By Charlie Bass