Bayern Munich loanee Daniel Peretz has embarked on an extraordinary run of form with FC Southampton since his winter transfer, bringing the team closer to a Premier League promotion and an FA Cup final appearance.
In mid-March, the Daily Echo captured the sentiment surrounding Daniel Peretz at FC Southampton with a touching opening: «No matter how often you’re warned not to fall for a loan player – it’s hard when they play like Daniel Peretz,» wrote the region’s largest tabloid newspaper. By now, resisting such affection is not just difficult, but likely impossible. Peretz has transformed into Southampton’s talisman, the face of an almost unbelievable winning streak.
What makes this romance particularly noteworthy is that it began amidst a collective low point. When Peretz joined Southampton on a six-month loan from FC Bayern in the winter, no one involved was doing particularly well – neither the 25-year-old goalkeeper from Israel, nor the historic club from England’s south coast and its fans.
After two years as a reserve at Bayern, Peretz was loaned to Hamburger SV in the summer of 2025. He firmly expected to be a starter but lost out to Daniel Heuer Fernandes. Deeply disappointed, he publicly voiced his displeasure and boycotted training in January to force another move.
The English Championship club FC Southampton secured his services. Following their relegation from the Premier League, the Saints had initially aimed for immediate promotion. However, upon Peretz’s arrival, they were languishing in 15th place in the Championship after a streak of six winless league matches.
Peretz at Southampton: Promotion and FA Cup Final?
Their debut against Hull City ended in defeat, but then came a remarkable turnaround: 20 games, 16 wins, and four draws. Southampton steadily climbed the league table. With two matchdays remaining in the season, the Saints are in fourth place, with promotion playoff participation virtually assured and even slim chances for the second automatic promotion spot. League leaders Coventry City have already secured promotion.
This winning surge has not only propelled Southampton towards promotion but also into the FA Cup semi-finals. The Saints recently eliminated two Premier League clubs, first Fulham, where the Daily Echo lauded Peretz’s «colossal performance» for his saves. In the quarter-finals, they even defeated the then-league leaders and Champions League semi-finalists, FC Arsenal.
In the semi-final round, Southampton will face Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on Saturday at 6:15 PM. The winner of the match between FC Chelsea and Leeds United awaits in the final.
Daniel Peretz Praises Southampton and the Championship
«I feel better than ever. It feels like I’ve reached the peak of my career,» Peretz recently stated in an interview with Transfermarkt. He described Southampton and himself as a «perfect match.» When discussing the city, the club, and the league, Peretz cannot stop expressing his enthusiasm.
Southampton already feels «like home» to him. «It helps to perform well when you have an environment where you feel everyone supports and loves you.» While others might view the 46-game Championship season as a grueling marathon, Peretz says, «I love this league because it’s so intense.» After two and a half years as a reserve with only nine appearances for FC Bayern and HSV combined, it is «exactly what I needed.»
Interestingly, Southampton’s coach since December is a 33-year-old German: Tonda Eckert, who previously worked in the youth academies of FC Bayern and RB Leipzig. Eckert sees Peretz as a «winner» and praises him: «Daniel’s positivity is infectious. I’ve rarely encountered a goalkeeper who tries so hard to give energy to the others on the pitch as he does.»
Southampton Holds a Buy-Out Option for Daniel Peretz
With an FA Cup semi-final against City and the promotion race in full swing, what comes next? Peretz’s contract with FC Bayern, who signed him from Maccabi Tel Aviv for five million euros in 2023, runs until 2028. Southampton has a buy-out option for eight million euros. When asked in the Transfermarkt interview how likely it is that he will play in the Premier League with Southampton next season, Peretz replied, «I think that would be logical.»
Peretz also admits, «Bayern is still in my heart. I love the club.» However, like Alexander Nübel (29), who is on loan at VfB Stuttgart, he has no future in Munich. If Manuel Neuer (40) decides to play for another year, his designated successor Jonas Urbig (22) will remain the second-choice goalkeeper. In the event of Neuer’s retirement, Urbig would be promoted immediately and is expected to be paired with an experienced replacement. According to Sport Bild, a surprisingly plausible candidate for this role is Daniel Heuer Fernandes (33), who famously beat Peretz to the starting spot at HSV last summer.
The goalkeeper situation at Southampton is also quite complex. The Saints currently have two former regular keepers out on loan. Aaron Ramsdale (27) was their goalkeeper during their relegation season and is currently playing for Newcastle United. Gavin Bazunu (24) started the season as the undisputed first-choice keeper but was moved to league rivals Stoke City after Peretz’s arrival.
Current Championship Standings
| Pl. | Team | Sp. | Tore | Diff. | Pkt. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coventry City | 44 | 90:44 | 46 | 89 |
| 2 | Ipswich Town | 43 | 75:45 | 30 | 79 |
| 3 | Millwall FC | 44 | 61:48 | 13 | 79 |
| 4 | Southampton FC | 44 | 77:53 | 24 | 76 |
| 5 | Middlesbrough FC | 44 | 65:44 | 21 | 76 |
| 6 | Wrexham AFC | 44 | 66:60 | 6 | 70 |
| 7 | Hull City | 44 | 67:63 | 4 | 70 |
| 8 | Derby County | 44 | 63:55 | 8 | 66 |
| 9 | Norwich City | 44 | 61:53 | 8 | 64 |
| 10 | Birmingham City | 44 | 54:54 | 0 | 60 |
| 11 | Swansea City | 44 | 53:57 | -4 | 60 |
| 12 | Bristol City | 44 | 56:57 | -1 | 59 |
| 13 | Queens Park Rangers | 44 | 59:67 | -8 | 58 |
| 14 | Sheffield United | 44 | 62:62 | 0 | 57 |
| 15 | Watford FC | 44 | 52:56 | -4 | 57 |
| 16 | Preston North End | 44 | 51:57 | -6 | 57 |
| 17 | Stoke City | 44 | 50:51 | -1 | 55 |
| 18 | West Bromwich Albion | 44 | 47:56 | -9 | 52 |
| 19 | Blackburn Rovers | 45 | 42:55 | -13 | 52 |
| 20 | Portsmouth FC | 44 | 45:62 | -17 | 51 |
| 21 | Charlton Athletic | 44 | 41:54 | -13 | 50 |
| 22 | Oxford United | 44 | 41:56 | -15 | 44 |
| 23 | Leicester City | 44 | 56:67 | -11 | 42 |
| 24 | Sheffield Wednesday | 44 | 26:84 | -58 | -3 |