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Why Bournemouth must do what it takes to sign £30m La Liga ace this summer

Why Bournemouth must go all the way to sign Jefferson Lerma

According to a report from the Sun, Bournemouth have had a club-record bid of £27m rejected by Levante for Jefferson Lerma. The Spanish club have told Eddie Howe’s men to come back with an offer of around £30m.

The Bournemouth manager has been targeting the Colombian midfielder, who has the qualities to make a difference at the Vitality stadium. However, to sign the player, the club must increase the bid as Levante are adamant to keep their selling price fixed for the 23-year-old.

Lerma was impressive for Colombia in the recently concluded World Cup and enhanced his prominence in Russia. He is Bournemouth’s long-term transfer target and Howe must do everything to sign him before the transfer window ends.

Here’s why the midfielder must be snapped by the Cherries this summer:

Player Analysis – Jefferson Lerma

Age – 23

Main Positions – Defender (Right), Defensive midfielder

Lerma’s height (179cm) allows him to be a dominant figure in the air and win important duels, at a rate of 3.4 per game. His passing from the midfield is impeccable, to say the least, with a success rate of over 81%.

The 23-year-old possesses the propensity of picking out crucial through balls to cut the opposition defence open. He fabricated 19 goalscoring opportunities in 26 league appearances last season.

Jefferson Lerma

Lerma’s defensive contribution will be crucial for Bournemouth in the Premier League. He never shies away from making tackles and averages 2 tackles per game. He can also intercept important through balls to stop the opposition attacks, and averages 1.9 in the La Liga.

Howe generally plays a 4-4-1-1 formation but changes it according to the quality of the opponent. He can deploy Lerma as one of the central midfielders and expect big things from the Colombian.

Verdict

Getting a player who has shined on the big stage will be a big boost for Bournemouth. They have done well to stay up in the Premier League with limited spending. However, with the transfer market getting inflated, the Cherries need to ensure they submit an improved bid for Lerma and snap him up.

Read More: [Image] Bournemouth’s 4-2-3-1 line-up featuring £10.7m new arrival looks capable of finishing in the top-10

For the player too, it will be a massive opportunity to join the English top-flight. He has handed in a transfer request to Levante and the Cherries should make use of this chance and buy him.

Stats Courtesy – Whoscored.com