Justin Lerma is a 15-year-old versatile midfielder who plays for Independiente del Valle U-17. The midfielder also played for Independiente del Valle U-15 in the league, being the most important player in their league title win. Lerma also featured in the Next Generation Trophy (U-16), being one of the best, if not the best, players in the tournament. I previously wrote a scout report about Lerma.
He stands at around 1.80m with an athletic build. Lerma is one of the fastest players I’ve ever seen at youth level. He has explosive acceleration and great speed over long distances. His changes of speed and direction are sublime. Lerma avoids tackles and challenges very well, displaying his good athleticism and balance. He is also quite strong on the ball and has excellent stamina.
Justin Lerma loves to take on his opponents, especially against similar-aged players. He is a bit more passive at U-17 level but still displayed his excellent ball-carrying ability there. Lerma’s explosive speed helps him to get past his opponents, but he is much more than just speed. Lerma has great ball control and footwork in tight spaces and uses his quick feints to successfully take on multiple opponents at once. He likes to take away the ball from the opponent with the outside of his right foot before bursting away from his opponent. The midfielder combines his outstanding dribbling and ball-carrying ability with good decision-making and vision. Lerma has an excellent positional sense, always moving into space. He knows when to recycle possession and when to take on opponents. His passing over short and long distances is very solid and secure. Lerma is often looking for short and quick combinations down the middle, being able to progress the ball from the halfway line to the box within seconds. Lerma needs to use his left foot more and could crash into the box more often, operating as the most advanced midfielder. His left foot is decent, but he just refuses to use it often. His ball-striking from close and long range is excellent.
Defensively, Lerma is often allowed to stay forward at U-15 level but he has shown more defensive discipline playing for the U-17s. His explosive speed helps him to close down his opponent aggressively. Lerma also reads his opponents well and has good anticipation in the final third to pick up loose balls. He cuts passing lanes pretty well.
My expectation for 2024 is that he will make his debut for the first team of Independiente del Valle in the second half of the season. At the age of 15, he could still end up as a central midfielder and as a winger but I would like to see him being trained as a box-to-box midfielder. It is possible that Chelsea or CFG will already sign him in 2024, similar to Kendry Páez’s transfer. Justin Lerma has the potential to become a world-class player.
Target Scouting 