Aston Villa could be lining up Steven Gerrard's perfect transfer

Aston Villa are reportedly lining up a move for FC Nantes left-back Quentin Merlin. And he could be a perfect fit for Steven Gerrard's prefered playing system.

Merlin reportedly caught the eye of Gerrard, Villa sporting director Johan Lange and club chief executive Christian Purslow while the trio were scouting midfielder Boubacar Kamara in Olympique de Marseille's 3-2 victory over Nantes in April.

Gerrard puts great emphasis on the role of full-backs within the style of play he likes to implement, and this was clearly outlined by his first signing in charge of the club, Lucas Digne. The Frenchman made the switch from Everton to Villa Park in January in a deal worth up to £27 million, which not only outlines how important this role is for the manager but also what he demands of who plays there.

Speaking in a recent interview with Transfersdotcom, Digne explained: "At Villa, the manager wants me to be a part of attack, and that is great. For the team and for myself, I'm coming up to the best age for a football player - and I believe the next few seasons will be the best in my career."

Digne will likely be the first option and left-back for Villa in the coming seasons but with an exit for Matt Targett likely to occur, the squad will lack depth in this position which Gerrard values so dearly. Therefore highlighting why links to a young attacking full-back such as Quentin Merlin have emerged.

Here is an deeper look into Merlin as a player and why he could be a perfect fit for Gerrard at Villa...

The 20-year-old French left-back has enjoyed a breakout season for Nantes in Ligue 1, where he started 21 of his 28 appearances throughout the campaign, of which 14 came at left wing back. Merlin is capable of playing in a back