Jefferson Lerma

Jefferson Andrés Lerma Solís (born 25 October 1994) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for Premier League club Crystal Palace and the Colombia national team. A youth product of Atlético Huila, Lerma played for three years in Colombia before joining Spanish side Levante on loan in 2016, with the club making the move permanent later that year on a four-year contract. In 2018, he signed for Premier League side AFC Bournemouth for a club-record fee of €30 million, spending five seasons there before joining Crystal Palace on a free transfer in 2023, where he went on to win the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield in 2025, as well as the UEFA Conference League in 2026. Lerma first played with Colombia's Olympic team, representing them at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, and made his senior international debut the following year. He was part of the Colombia squads that participated at the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2026, also representing his nation at the 2019 and 2024 editions of the Copa América, helping his country finish as runners-up in the latter.