Born: June 3, 2005 Birthplace: Angers, France Height: 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) Position: Forward/Winger Club: Paris Saint-Germain Nationality: French
Désiré Doué is one of those rookies who slipped under the radar — but when you actually dig into the numbers, his print run looks a lot healthier than people think. Across his rookie cards, the range is wide: from premium Merlin Chrome parallels to Topps Chrome and PSG-specific sets, he has one of the most complete rookie timelines of any young French forward.
Why Collectors Are Watching
Doué joined PSG as a teenager from Rennes and immediately became one of the most exciting young players in Ligue 1. His rookie card output spans multiple Topps and third-party sets, giving collectors multiple entry points. The Merlin Chrome SuperFractor and the Padparadscha from Chrome Sapphire are the clear apex cards for serious collectors.
Card #1 — Topps Merlin Chrome #166
Type: Trading Card
RC Badge: ✅ Yes
Serial Numbered (Base): No
Numbered Parallels
| Parallel | Print Run |
|---|---|
| Neon Green Shimmer Refractor | /350 |
| Rose Gold Shimmer Refractor | /299 |
| Pink Mojo Refractor | /275 |
| Atomic Refractor | /250 |
| Aqua Refractor | /199 |
| Aqua Speckle Refractor | /199 |
| Speckle Refractor | /150 |
| Green Mojo Refractor | /99 |
| Green Refractor | /99 |
| Blue Refractor | /75 |
| Blue Shimmer Refractor | /75 |
| Gold Atomic Refractor | /50 |
| Gold Refractor | /50 |
| Orange Mojo Refractor | /25 |
| Orange Refractor | /25 |
| Purple Refractor | /15 |
| Purple Wave Refractor | /15 |
| Red Refractor | /10 |
| Red Wave Refractor | /5 |
| SuperFractor | 1/1 |
Total: 2,266
Collector Note: The Merlin U-21 and Merlin SP Variation both have their own SuperFractors — however, an error was confirmed where 2 SuperFractors were manufactured for the Merlin U-21, making the Merlin #166 SuperFractor the cleanest true 1/1 in the set.
Card #2 — Topps Chrome #48
Type: Trading Card
RC Badge: ✅ Yes
Key Parallels
| Parallel | Print Run |
|---|---|
| Neon Green Shimmer | /99 |
| Aqua Wave | /199 |
| Gold | /50 |
| Black & Gold Seismic | /30 |
| Orange | /25 |
| Red | /5 |
| SuperFractor | 1/1 |
Total: 2,544
Card #3 — Chrome Sapphire
Type: Trading Card
Serial Numbered: Yes
| Parallel | Print Run |
|---|---|
| Yellow | /99 |
| Green | /70 |
| Orange | /50 |
| Purple | /25 |
| Red | /5 |
| Padparadscha | 1/1 |
Total: 240
Additional Sets
| Set | Total Numbered | Key 1/1 |
|---|---|---|
| Merlin U-21 | 161 | SuperFractor (×2 error) |
| Merlin SP Variation | 161 | SuperFractor |
| Topps Base | 1,563 | FoilFractor |
| Topps 1st Edition | 71 | FoilFractor |
| Carnaval | 121 | Gold |
| Jade | 345 | Imperial Jade FoilFractor |
| Score | 317 | Various |
Rookie Year at a Glance
| Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Merlin Chrome Numbered Cards | 2,266 |
| Total Topps Chrome Numbered Cards | 2,544 |
| True 1/1 Cards (Clean) | Multiple across sets |
| Current Club | Paris Saint-Germain |
Collector Insight
Doué’s rookie market is unusually broad for a player his age — multiple Topps products, specialty sets like Jade and Carnaval, and a Chrome Sapphire run with a Padparadscha 1/1 at the top. The sheer number of sets gives collectors plenty of entry points, while the SuperFractors and specialty 1/1s provide clear long-term chase targets.
