Saints seal permanent Peretz signing
Southampton Football Club is delighted to announce the permanent transfer of goalkeeper Daniel Peretz from Bayern Munich on a four-year contract.
The 25-year-old enjoyed a highly successful loan spell at St Mary’s following his January arrival from the German giants, helping transform Saints’ defensive record and playing an influential role as Tonda Eckert’s team ended the season 21 Sky Bet Championship matches unbeaten.
Peretz played every minute of that run, keeping eight clean sheets along the way, and also produced memorable performances against Premier League sides Fulham, Arsenal and Manchester City as Saints reached the Emirates FA Cup semi-finals.
Beginning his career with Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he played more than 100 times, Peretz made seven appearances for Bayern as understudy to Manuel Neuer, his childhood hero, learning his trade from one of the all-time great goalkeepers.
He made a total of 26 appearances for Saints in all competitions following his mid-season arrival last term, adjusting impressively to the relentless Championship schedule and finishing on the losing side on only two occasions.
On deciding to make his St Mary’s switch permanent, Daniel Peretz said: “I’m super excited. For the last few months this was my home and we had so many good times, and also some tense times, but even in the last few weeks with how we stayed together you could really feel this home environment.
“That was, for me, the dealbreaker. Yes, it is my dream to play in the Premier League and on the highest stages in the world, but a bigger dream for me is to be there with Southampton. I really believe that we can be there and achieve that.”
Group Technical Director Johannes Spors said: “We knew about Daniel’s qualities when we signed him on loan in January, and his impact on the team was clear for everybody to see. He has a confidence in his own ability that transmits to the players in front of him.
“I had several conversations with Daniel after our season came to an end. It was clear throughout these discussions that he remained committed to us, even with other options on the table. We are delighted to welcome him back to Southampton on a long-term contract and determined to build on the successes we experienced together last season.”
