Bournemouth Colombian midfielder Jefferson Lerma will leave the club when his contract expires this summer and during Premier League rivals Crystal Palace on a free transfer. The 28-year-old will reportedly join the Selhurst Park side after a three-year contract.

Lerma will become a free agent on July 1 and will move in with the Eagles after agreeing to a 3 years deal. He said he is very happy and excited by this new opportunity and wants to help with every objective the club has next season.

The midfielder started 37 Premier League games for Bournemouth in 2022-23, scoring five goals as the Cherries avoided the drop retaining their Premier League status for another season.

Lerma was a club record signing from Levante in 2018 when he moved to the Vitality Stadium for £25M; he is an experienced fit for Crystal Palace who wants to fill the gap left by Milivojevic and James McArthur who are leaving the club as their contracts expire.

Lerma had 183 games for Bournemouth, with 99 of them coming in the Premier League, scoring 12 goals. He also has 33 caps for the Colombian national team.

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish said that the club was already looking forward to the arrival of Jefferson Lerma, who he believes, with his experience, will help Crystal Palace as they head into their 11th consecutive season in the Premier League.

“Jefferson is a strong addition to our squad. He is a proven performer at the Premier League level, and his combative and competitive nature will endear him to the Palace fans. We look forward to welcoming him to the club on July 1 in preparation for our 11th consecutive season in the top flight.” Steve Parish said.

Meanwhile, the identity of Crystal Palace’s head coach is known as Roy Hodgson, is expected to step down following the completion of his short-term contract that saw him help the club retain their Premier League status last season.

Daniel Ademiju Idowu