Ecuadorian journalist Simon Escudero has drawn parallels between the 18-year-old and Jude Bellingham, telling German outlet Ruhr Nachrichten that Lerma possesses similar qualities to the current Real Madrid star and is the player who most resembles him.
Escudero pointed in particular to Lerma's dynamism from central areas, his presence between the lines and his confidence in possession when running at opponents.
Borussia Dortmund secured the versatile attacking midfielder's signature back in May 2024, paying around €4m to Independiente del Valle for his services, a deal completed well before the player turned 18.
Escudero went as far as to call Lerma the greatest talent the Ecuadorian academy has ever produced, a significant claim given the calibre of players who have come through the same system.
That academy has already produced a notable list of graduates who have gone on to make their names in Europe, including Moises Caicedo at Chelsea, Piero Hincapie at Arsenal and Willian Pacho at Paris Saint-Germain, all 24 years old and now established at clubs competing at the top level of the European game.
Lerma now arrives at Dortmund carrying some of the heaviest expectations placed on a teenager from Independiente del Valle's production line, with the club hoping his early development can follow a similar trajectory to the players who came before him.
How quickly he is integrated into Dortmund's first team will be the first real test of whether the comparisons being made in Ecuador are matched by what he produces on the pitch in Germany.
Dortmund have shown a consistent willingness in recent years to hand significant first-team minutes to teenage signings rather than easing them in gradually, a pattern that suggests Lerma will be given every chance to prove the hype justified rather than be left to develop quietly in the background.