Jose Mourinho is now keen to bring a Crystal Palace player to Turkey after being hired by Fenerbahce.
The man from Setubal has often sung the praises of Crystal Palace over the years, to the point where some fans felt he could even replace Roy Hodgson at one stage.
For now – at least – Jose Mourinho will be spending his time in Istanbul, where he has decided to target a Crystal Palace player for Fenerbahce…
Jose Mourinho wants Jefferson Lerma at Fenerbahce
A story from Sporx in Turkey now states that Jefferson Lerma is a target for Fenerbahce this summer.
The Crystal Palace No.8 has been a standout player for Colombia at the Copa America, scoring two goals in five outings as Nestor Lorenzo’s side lost 1-0 to Argentina in the final on Monday.
Sporx actually state that representatives from Fenerbahce will travel to south London to hold talks with Crystal Palace about signing Lerma, as Mourinho seeks a quality partner for Fred.
The Turkish news outlet add that the Super Lig side – who missed out on the title to Wilfried Zaha’s Galatasaray last season – are planning to make a €15m (£13m) bid to sign the Colombian.
Oliver Glasner needs to keep the Colombia international at Crystal Palace
While it would be fine business in a financial sense to sell somebody we signed on a free transfer for £13m after just one season, it would be madness from a footballing aspect.
Lerma finished second behind Jean-Philippe Mateta in the battle to win Crystal Palace’s Player of the Year for the 2023/24 campaign, in a season where he truly shone, whether he was playing in central midfield or as a central defender.
The 29-year-old’s versatility will surely be vital once again next term amid inevitable injuries, and having already lost Michael Olise, it would not be enjoyable to see the South American depart SE25 as well.
Ultimately, nobody could blame Lerma for wanting to team up with Mourinho, who remains one of the most popular and iconic managers in the game, if not the most.
READ MORE: What Jean-Philippe Mateta did to help Chadi Riad and Daichi Kamada settle in at Crystal Palace
Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as Fenerbahce are set to hold talks with Crystal Palace.
