Borussia Dortmund have signed a promising 16-year-old kid

Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid’s rival in the Champions League final on June 1, completed the signing of Ecuadorian youth soccer player Justin Lerma, just 16 years old, the latest commitment of Free Valleywith whom he recently debuted in the first team in a match of Ecuador Pro League.

Lerma, who made his debut in April when he was 15 years old, will continue to play for Independiente del Valle until he reaches adulthood. where he will formally join the ranks of the German team, as indicated by the Ecuadorian club on Monday in a statement. The Ecuadorian footballer will wear the yellow shirt starting from the 2026-2027 season.

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl He commented that they have been following Justin’s development “for a long time. We have maintained a close relationship with him and his family. He is one of the best South American talents of his generation and we are excited to have him at Borussia Dortmund,” he said.

The official statement from Independiente del Valle did not include the figure on which the transfer of Lerma had been agreed. Although some Ecuadorian media points to that It can be around 10 million dollarsto which will be added the percentage of Lerma’s future transfer from Borussia Dortmund to another club.

Under this figure, Independiente del Valle also recently completed the transfer of Kendry Páez, 16, to Chelsea, who will wait until he reaches the age of majority to include the player, who is already an undisputed starter in the Independiente del Valle first team and has also secured a place in the starting eleven of the Ecuador national team.

In Lerma’s case, Borussia Dortmund made his signing official when the footballer barely accumulates 65 minutes in the Independiente del Valle first team, as a result of two appearances in the Ecuadorian Pro League in the two matches where he came from the substitutes’ bench against Universidad Católica and El Nacional.