‘Surprising’ name mentioned at Arsenal as replacement for Edu | OneFootball

Brest sporting director Gregory Lorenzi has been mentioned internally at Arsenal as the search to replace departed sporting director Edu continues, according to French outlet Foot Mercato.

The ‘surprising’ name is coming after the Gunners were linked with Brentford director of football Phil Giles and Bayer Leverkusen managing director of sport Simon Rolfes.

AS Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro, West Ham United technical director Tim Steidten, Sparta Prague sporting director Tomas Rosicky and Arsenal academy manager Per Mertesacker have also been touted as possible options.

Lorenzi has impressed since becoming the sports director at the Ligue 1 club at the end of the 2015-16 season, with his recruitment ensuring they finished third last term.

It appears his work has caught Arsenal’s attention, while Rennes, RC Lens, OGC Nice and AS Monaco have courted him in the past.

Brest are unbeaten in the Champions League this term, with three wins and a draw to their name in the opening four games of the league phase.

However, they are in 12th place in Ligue 1 following four wins, a draw and six defeats.

The Frenchman has largely made shrewd recruitment since his reign started, with his ability to unearth hidden gems a quality Arsenal could utilise.

The Gunners are aware they need a better squad depth to be able to challenge across all competitions, but they cannot spend as they like due to Profit and Sustainability rules.

The most expensive players are not necessarily the best, and Lorenzi has proven that signing top talents for very cheap fees is a model on which clubs can thrive.

Arsenal could look to hire him if manager Mikel Arteta and the club’s leadership team are convinced that he is the best man to help take the club to the next level.