Lorient target modern, multilingual football director, with Demba Ba in frame | OneFootball

Black Knight Football Club are advancing their two-month search for a director of football at Lorient, with interviews under way and Demba Ba among those in the frame.

According to L'Équipe, the new owners want a modern, multilingual operator who understands multiple markets and can work autonomously while aligning with methods already in place at Bournemouth. Two or three candidates have been interviewed.

On 26 January Lorient announced that BKFC had become sole shareholder following a strategic agreement designed to strengthen the club’s long-term development. The consortium also owns Bournemouth and Moreirense, and sees this hire as the cornerstone of a refreshed sporting policy.

Ba, 40, is president delegate at Dunkerque, who are eighth in Ligue two. Over the past three years he has prioritised recruiting and developing young players, reached the play-offs last season, and oversaw the sale of Yassine to Strasbourg for eight million euros including bonuses.

BKFC representatives, including those overseeing Bournemouth’s sporting policy, have noted Dunkerque’s possession-based style under Luis Castro then Albert Sanchez, which could align with Lorient’s traditions.

It is premature to consider Ba’s appointment agreed. Lorient were surprised his name emerged publicly, and any decision also hinges on the future of current sporting director Laurent Koscielny and approval from long-standing president Loïc Féry, who remains in post since 2009. BKFC do not intend to rush, but want the structure set before the next transfer window, so a conclusion should follow in the coming months.

Source: L'Équipe