Dortmund secured the signature of Lerma back in 2024, paying around €4m to Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder, highly rated across South America, will officially move to Germany in 2026 after turning 18. Dortmund moved early to beat competition from several top European clubs, including Chelsea, maintaining close contact with Lerma and his family since the agreement was reached.
Die Schwarzgelben’s scouting department has once again beaten Europe’s elite to a South American gem. The club’s track record speaks for itself from Ousmane Dembele and Jadon Sancho to Jude Bellingham and they hope Lerma can follow a similar trajectory. Independiente del Valle, known for producing players like Moises Caicedo, Kendry Paez and Piero Hincapie, continues to be a goldmine for European clubs looking for future stars.
Sporting director Sebastian Kehl revealed that Dortmund had been monitoring Lerma for years, maintaining close contact with his family to secure the deal.
“We’ve been monitoring Justin for some time and have maintained close contact with the player and his family ever since,” said Kehl.
Bild reports that Dortmund staff made multiple trips to Ecuador to ensure the player felt integrated even before his arrival. Head coach Niko Kovac is expected to include Lerma in first-team training next summer, giving him time to adapt before making his Bundesliga debut. Lerma has already visited the Dortmund facilities on several occasions, too, and has been impressed by the atmosphere.
Lerma, capable of operating as a No. 10 or No. 8, will need time to adjust to the pace and physicality of European football. For now, he continues to feature primarily for Independiente del Valle’s youth sides. Dortmund, however, see him as a long-term project, one who could potentially follow the same rise as Bellingham or Dembele and eventually command a major transfer fee.
