Over-hyped free agent Jefferson Lerma is not good enough for West Ham and Crystal Palace are welcome to him.
West Ham and Crystal Palace fans following the early spins of the transfer rumour mill will be aware both clubs have been linked with Colombian midfielder Jefferson Lerma.
TEAMtalk reported that West Ham were interested in Lerma after it became increasingly clear he would be leaving Bournemouth this summer.
It also cited Crystal Palace’s interest, plus admiration from Fulham and Nottingham Forest to name but a few.
With Declan Rice leaving West Ham this summer and the likes of Luka Milivojevic departing Crystal Palace, links to Lerma were inevitable.
Bournemouth have today confirmed Lerma is leaving the club amid the West Ham and Palace links.
West Ham criticised for “missing out” to Palace for midfielder
The Cherries paid a gushing tribute to the midfielder who has made 183 appearances across five seasons, scoring 12 goals.
West Ham have been criticised by several sites for ‘missing out’ on free agent Lerma as reports from the likes of The Evening Standard claim he will join Crystal Palace imminently.
Some of the reporting around Lerma from other sites has been nothing short of ridiculous.
Reading the criticism of the Hammers and Moyes for not swooping to beat the Eagles to the Colombian, anyone would think he was a modern day Claude Makelele.
In fact over-hyped free agent Lerma is not good enough for West Ham and Crystal Palace are welcome to him.
With due respect to Palace and Bournemouth, playing for West Ham – especially following in the footsteps of Rice – is a major step up.
Over-hyped free agent Jefferson Lerma is not good enough for West Ham and Crystal Palace are welcome to him – view
The expectation levels are much higher at the London Stadium.
Lerma may have been a good servant for the Cherries and may well turn out to be a sensible signing for Crystal Palace on a free.
But he is a hot-headed yellow card magnet who would get swallowed up by the pressure of replacing Rice in West Ham’s midfield.
It’s one thing replacing James McArthur and Milivojevic. It’s a completely different ball game being the man to try and fill Rice’s boots.
Lerma has averaged a very average 6.6/10 rating across his 37 games this season. And he been man of the match just once.
Good luck to Lerma and Palace but he simply isn’t up to replacing Rice
The 28-year-old averages just 1.4 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game. He has also picked up 30 yellow cards in his 100 Premier League appearances and a red to boot.
Lerma has a tackle success rate of 62 per cent. And the most telling statistic of all for his crucial defensive midfield position is his 50/50 duel figures.
Lerma won just 59 50/50 duels. Rice has won 191. That shows the chasm between the two.
He is a decent midfielder, nothing more. Lerma could have been a squad player at West Ham at best.
It must also be remembered Palace are under pressure to bring in bodies in central midfield, especially having missed out to West Ham for Flynn Downes at the 11th hour last summer.
Good luck to Lerma and Palace.
But to suggest West Ham have “missed out” given the calibre of player the club are said to be in for elsewhere – is nothing short of ridiculous.
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