AI DNA Similarity
Best Alternatives to Quentin Merlin
Players most similar to Quentin Merlin (Defender, €12.0M) — ranked by AI DNA similarity score across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.
Top 3 Alternatives to Quentin Merlin
- 1.Arsène Kouassi86% DNA match·Lorient€7.0M
- 2.Nuno Mendes86% DNA match·Paris Saint Germain€75.0M
- 3.Matthieu Udol85% DNA match·Lens€5.0M
Ranked by AI DNA similarity — 768 dimensions across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.
RT
Intelligence Verdict
Key PassesTop 8%
“A Active Full-Back....”
See Full Verdict + Share Card →Playing Style Analysis
Active Full-Back
A Active Full-Back. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, a capable chance creator (1.5 key passes/90), a reliable supplier (0.19 assists/90), active in the tackle (1.9 tackles/90), central to possession (73 touches/90), uses long balls frequently (5.0/90) and active off the ball (2.6 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions. The three most similar players to Quentin Merlin by playing style are:
- Arsène Kouassi(86% match) — A Active Full-Back. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, a capable chance creator (1.3 key passes/90), a prolific assist provider (0.43 assists/90) and active off the ball (2.2 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions. Note: this profile is based on 847 minutes of playing time this season.
- Nuno Mendes(86% match) — A Active Full-Back. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, an elite creator (2.4 key passes/90), a regular goalscorer (0.25 goals/90), a prolific assist provider (0.37 assists/90), meticulous in distribution (89% pass accuracy), wins the physical battle (55% duel success), heavily involved in possession (75 passes/90), creates high-quality scoring opportunities (0.74 big chances/90), penetrates with forward passing (11.9 final-third passes/90), central to possession (102 touches/90), switches play with precision (6.1 long balls/90, 70% accuracy) and a high-intensity presser (press score 3.2/90), constantly disrupting opposition build-up. Note: this profile is based on 727 minutes of playing time this season.
- Matthieu Udol(85% match) — A Active Full-Back. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, an elite creator (1.6 key passes/90), meticulous in distribution (86% pass accuracy) and creates high-quality scoring opportunities (0.75 big chances/90). Note: this profile is based on 720 minutes of playing time this season.
Transfer Intelligence
Arsène Kouassi delivers 86% of the same playing style, at 42% lower cost (€7.0M vs €12.0M), with 0.74 tackles won per 90 at age 21.
Similarity is calculated using per-90 performance data across multiple playing style dimensions. How Player DNA matching works →
Similar Players — Ranked by DNA Similarity
#1
A
Arsène Kouassi
Lorient · Ligue 1
Burkina Faso21yContract 2029
Tkl/900.74
KP/901.27
Active Full-BackSmall Sample
vs Merlin: 2y younger
86% match
€7.0M
#2
N
Nuno Mendes
Paris Saint Germain · Ligue 1
Portugal23yContract 2029
Tkl/901.82
KP/901.61
Active Full-BackBall-Playing
Last 5: → Stablevs Merlin: €63M more expensive
86% match
€75.0M
#3
M
Matthieu Udol
Lens · Ligue 1
France30yContract 2028
Tkl/901.38
KP/901.63
Active Full-BackSmall Sample
Last 5: ↑ Hotvs Merlin: €7M cheaper · 7y older
85% match
€5.0M
#4
G
Guela Doué
Strasbourg · Ligue 1
France23yContract 2029
Tkl/902.33
KP/902.00
Active Full-BackBall-Playing
Last 5: ↓ Dip85% match
€18.0M
#5
C
Caio Henrique
Brazil · Ligue 1
Brazil28yContract 2027
Tkl/902.00
KP/901.76
Active Full-BackSmall Sample
Last 5: ↑ Hot85% match
€15.0M
#6
K
Kassoum Ouattara
Monaco · Ligue 1
France21yContract 2028
Tkl/901.78
KP/901.52
Active Full-Back
85% match
€9.0M
#7
E
Emerson
Olympique Marseille · Ligue 1
Italy31y
Tkl/902.65
KP/901.99
Active Full-BackSmall Sample
85% match
€15.4M
#8
R
Ruben Aguilar
Lens · Ligue 1
France33yContract 2028
Tkl/902.01
KP/902.68
Active Full-Back
Last 5: ↓ Dip84% match
€3.0M
#9
J
Joshua Brenet
Kayserispor · Super Lig
Netherlands32y
Tkl/903.36
KP/900.20
Active Full-BackSmall Sample
Last 5: ↓ Dip84% match
€3.5M
#10
A
Achraf Hakimi
Paris Saint Germain · Ligue 1
Morocco27yContract 2029
Tkl/901.83
KP/902.00
Active Full-BackBall-Playing
Last 5: ↑ Hot83% match
€80.0M
#11
F
Facundo Medina
Olympique Marseille · Ligue 1
Argentina26yContract 2026
Tkl/901.54
KP/900.58
Ball-Playing CBBall-Playing
84% match
€18.0M
#12
J
Jonathan Clauss
Nice · Ligue 1
France33yContract 2026
Tkl/901.71
KP/902.14
Active Full-Back
84% match
€4.5M
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Ask AI: Why are these players similar?
Our 768-dimension Player DNA model matches playing style, physical profile, pressing intensity, and tactical fit. Ask the AI to explain exactly what makes these players statistically similar to Quentin Merlin.
Ask AI about Quentin Merlin →Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best alternatives to Quentin Merlin?▼
The top alternatives to Quentin Merlin based on AI DNA playing style analysis include: Arsène Kouassi, Nuno Mendes, Matthieu Udol, Guela Doué, Caio Henrique. These players were matched using Rising Transfers' 768-dimension DNA model across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit — not just position or market value.
Which players are similar to Quentin Merlin in 2026?▼
Players with a similar profile to Quentin Merlin in 2026 include Arsène Kouassi (€7.0M), Nuno Mendes (€75.0M), Matthieu Udol (€5.0M). For a deeper DNA-level comparison including playing style, physical attributes, and tactical fit, ask Rising Transfers' AI directly.
What position does Quentin Merlin play and who plays similarly?▼
Quentin Merlin plays as a Defender. Players with a comparable positional profile include Arsène Kouassi (Burkina Faso, €7.0M); Nuno Mendes (Portugal, €75.0M); Matthieu Udol (France, €5.0M); Guela Doué (France, €18.0M).
How does Rising Transfers find similar players?▼
Rising Transfers uses a proprietary 768-dimension Player DNA model trained on 3.2 million match events. Each player is represented as a vector across 35+ per-90 metrics including pressing intensity, passing footprint, dribbling profile, and defensive contribution. Similarity is measured using cosine distance — the same technique used in state-of-the-art AI systems — making it the most precise player comparison tool available publicly.