Bournemouth have faced frustration in their attempts to sign Quentin Merlin from Marseille, with him refusing to talk to Andoni Iraola’s side.
That’s according to Le Phoceen, [via Made in Marseillais](https://madeinmarseillais.ouest-france.fr/mercato-om/article-mercato-l-avenir-reste-encore-flou-pour-ce-defenseur-de-l-om-483428.html), who report that a deal could now be off the table as a result.
They explain that Merlin has gone through a ‘half-hearted’ season with Marseille after losing his starting position to Ulisses Garcia.
That led to talk of a potential exit and Bournemouth showed an interest in him. The Cherries may be in the market for a new left-back if they lose Milos Kerkez this summer.
Merlin, though, refused to open negotiations with Bournemouth when they came calling. He instead wanted to shut that off and remains focused on the end of the season with the French side.
That situation has now changed as the season is nearly over and he wants Marseille’s leaders to make their plans for him clear. However, the left-back’s attitude has left a positive impression on those leaders.
They could now encourage the club not to put Merlin on the transfer list and keep him around, believing his clear determination to put Marseille first is a valuable asset.
And that could leave Bournemouth looking elsewhere, with the ship potentially sailing thanks to Merlin refusing to negotiate.