Southampton have signed Israelian goalkeeper, Daniel Peretz from Bayern Munich on a permanent transfer for £7m.
Peretz spent the season on loan at St Mary’s Stadium during which he made 78 saves and kept nine clean sheets in 26 total appearances, and helped the Saints qualify for the Championship Play-Off Final before they were expelled following their semi-final win due to a spying scandal.
The 25 year-old shot-stopper also featured in Southampton’s run to the FA Cup semi-finals, where they lost to eventual champions – Manchester City.
His performances ultimately saw Southampton agree a £7m transfer deal with Bayern Munich to sign him on a permanent transfer, with Peretz having signed a four-year contract until June 2030.
Peretz now is looking forward to putting the club’s scandal aside and look ahead to an automatic promotion challenge next season, despite the Saints starting the campaign on -4 points due to a four-point deduction after they were found guilty of spying on Oxford United and Ipswich.
“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 added that Peretz’s confidence has been inspirational for his teammates and is glad that he was prepared to commit permanently to the club despite the scandal.
“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.”
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