Transfer Spotlight: Crystal Palace’s Jefferson Lerma
Our transfer series spotlight turns to Crystal Palace’s Jefferson Lerma who has joined from fellow Premier League outfit Bournemouth on a free transfer. The 28-year-old is a familiar face, having spent the last five seasons with Bournemouth, four of those in the Premier League. Lerma also boasts international experience, having been capped by Colombia 34 times, including in the 2018 World Cup.
The Eagles have started their transfer business early, Lerma the first signing. It’s clear he’s there to bolster the midfield with long-standing players James McArthur and Luka Milivojevic moving on. We’ll have to wait and see who else signs over the summer, but being a proven player, Lerma will surely feature in the coming season, especially after coming in on the back of a strong season.
Lerma was successful for Bournemouth in a mostly 4-2-3-1 formation as one of the deeper lying midfielders, so he could thrive as a midfield #3 for Palace, helping the transition to attacking players such as Zaha, Olise and Eze. The creativity of the Palace front three will allow Lerma to focus on his defensive duties and transition play.
As far as FPL and Fantrax go, fantasy prospects for Lerma will be limited due to the nature of his defensive position, but he did have his best goalscoring season last time out with a respectable five goals, often popping up later towards the box, so he is capable. Palace has a fair share of attacking talent, so Lerma may be restricted with goalscoring opportunity.
The EPL season opens August 11, but our fantasy platforms will open weeks before then. And be sure to join us for Fantasy Women’s World Cup this summer! Please register and tell us your thoughts in the comments!
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