Celtic have been active in the summer transfer window as they have bolstered Brendan Rodgers' squad with six fresh arrivals.
Who have Celtic signed this summer?
Odin Thiago Holm joined as the first signing of the 2023/24 campaign and he was shortly followed by Australia international Marco Tilio.
South Korean duo Hyeok-kyu Kwon and Hyun-jun Yang joined on the same day and central defenders Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke have since been brought in to improve Rodgers' defensive options.
A new full-back now appears to be on the agenda for the Northern Irish head coach as it was recently reported that the club are keeping tabs on Nantes left-back Quentin Merlin, who would cost at least €8m (£6.8m).
How good is Quentin Merlin?
The France U21 international is an attack-minded defender who could provide an excellent threat from his position, which could make him a dream partner for new signing Yang on the left flank.
Merlin's form for Nantes in Ligue 1 last season suggests that he has the potential to be an outstanding creative option for Rodgers at left-back. He racked up an impressive seven 'big chances' created and produced 1.5 key passes per match for his teammates in 24 appearances, as per Sofascore.
Meanwhile, Greg Taylor played 31 Scottish Premiership games for the Hoops and contributed with two 'big chances' created and 1.3 key passes per outing, as per Sofascore. Alexandro Bernabei also provided three 'big chances' and made one key pass per clash across 15 matches.
This suggests that Merlin, who scout Jacek Kulig described as "complete", has more quality in possession when it comes to splitting open the opposition's defence to create opportunities for the attackers.
Therefore, the French dynamo could be a terrific partner for Yang as his threat from left-back could benefit for the 21-year-old wizard for multiple reasons.
Firstly, the South Korean maestro is a winger who has the potential to score goals as he racked up eight strikes in 33 league games for Gangwon FC in 2022, which is a tally only Kyogo Furuhashi (27) and Liel Abada (ten) bettered out of the current Celtic players last season.
This means that Yang could latch onto Merlin's key passes in the final third to score goals for the Bhoys, which could create an exciting link-up on the left throughout the campaign and moving forward.
The former Gangwon star could also benefit from the space that may be afforded to him if opposition defences are forced to concentrate on the French ace.
Given Merlin's potential to be an exceptional creator, in comparison to Bernabei and Taylor, defenders could need to focus on stopping him, which could draw attention away from Yang.
The current Hoops winger, who has created two 'big chances' and assisted one goal in 32 minutes of Premiership action this season, could then have more time on the ball to make things happen if the left-back's overlapping runs open up room for him to run into.
Therefore, Rodgers could get the best out of Yang and form a dream pairing down the left by securing a deal to sign Merlin before next month's transfer deadline.