Dortmund’s summer signing stalls as the young Ecuadorian hits a dead end
A Dortmunder Fehlplanung BVB-Neuzugang finds the 18‑year‑old Ecuadorian in a sackgasse, unavailable for the first team after a muscle injury at the end of August. The club announced “Bis auf Weiteres” Lerma is out, leaving fans and staff to wonder how the summer plan will recover.
Injury and early expectations
Catherine Ivill – AMA/GettyImages captured the club’s statement that “Bis auf Weiteres” Lerma is unavailable. The 18‑year‑old Ecuadorian suffered a Muskelverletzung Ende August, a setback that the BVB‑Trainer Niko Kovac described as normal but serious. Kovac added there are Sprachschwierigkeiten, and that Lerma is still a bit zierlich, so the staff must work on Gewicht and Fitness before he can compete for Einsätze in the Profimannschaft.
The summer‑Neuzugang arrived from Independiente for a four‑million‑Euro Ablöse, a fee that underlined Dortmund’s Plan to bolster the attack. Yet even without the Blessur, the young forward was never intended as an immediate Soforthilfe, unlike fellow newcomers Karetsas, Konstantelias and Nwaneri.
Limited playing options and loan speculation
Because of arbeitsrechtlichen Vorgaben, Lerma is not eligible for the U23 side in the Regionalliga, restricting his match practice to the Premier League International Cup. He featured in the U21‑Turnier, scoring in a 4‑1 victory over Fulham, but the same game saw him pick up another injury, extending his absence.
The Dortmund hierarchy has debated whether an immediate Leihe would be better, but no club showed interest this summer. Consequently, Lerma appears stuck in a sackgasse at least until the winter‑Transferfenster, when the BVB‑Verantwortlichen will revisit the loan question.
Contractually, Lerma is tied to Borussia Dortmund until 2031, indicating the club’s long‑term belief in his potential despite the current Zeit‑constraints. Until then, the young forward can only train and hope the winter window brings a solution.
The contrast between a €4 million summer investment and a lack of playing opportunities highlights a possible Fehlplanung in Dortmund’s recruitment strategy. Whether patience will pay off or a loan will finally free the player remains to be seen as the club navigates the coming months.