Oliver Glasner has already proven himself as a coach who is not afraid to make changes at Crystal Palace.
The Austrian moved Marc Guehi – who is close to joining Newcastle – into central midfield on the final day of last season to great effect.
A 5-0 win was secured against Aston Villa with the England international in midfield, as Nathaniel Clyne also shone once again in his new position as a central defender.
The man from Salzburg has also been seen using Naouirou Ahamada as a right wing-back during training out in the United States recently.
Now – as a new transfer rumour breaks out – Oliver Glasner might be intending to change another Crystal Palace player’s position, this time for good…
Oliver Glasner may now view Jefferson Lerma as a central defender amid Aster Vranckx talks
Fabrizio Romano now reveals that Dougie Freedman has just reopened talks to sign Aster Vranckx from VfL Wolfsburg.
The Belgium international is a central midfielder by trade, although Glasner already has plenty of options in that area of the pitch, where he only starts two players in a 5-2-3 setup.
Adam Wharton shared the midfield with Will Hughes last season after the 49-year-old replaced Roy Hodgson in February, as Cheick Doucoure was sidelined, and Jefferson Lerma played in central defence.
That strong midfield depth is partly why David Ozoh was allowed to join Derby on loan this summer.
Therefore, with so many options already at Glasner’s disposal for just two midfield slots, and another potentially arriving in Vranckx, we believe Lerma may now be viewed as a central defender internally at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace No.8 can cope
The Colombia international played in that area three times last season when Guehi was sidelined, and performed tremendously, notably shining in the 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield.
Lerma remarkably made eight clearances, four interceptions and two tackles – including one crucial last man challenge – on a day where he looked like he’d been playing in central defence for years.
We expect Glasner to use Wharton and Doucoure as his two central midfield options this season.
However, we also feel that Lerma – valued at £17m – is too talented to be benched completely, so we can see him stepping into the backline for good next season, alongside Joachim Andersen and Chris Richards, or Chadi Riad.
READ MORE: Another Crystal Palace player now wants to leave as Marc Guehi heads to Newcastle in £60m deal
Be sure to keep an eye on the situation involving Vranckx. If a deal materialises, Lerma could become a central defender on a full-time basis under Glasner.
