Bayern Munich has signed a new goalkeeper from Israel, Daniel Peretz, who will join the German champions on a five-year deal. Peretz, 23, is considered one of the most promising talents in Israeli football and has also attracted interest from other European clubs. Here are some facts about the new Bayern Munich goalkeeper.
A Record-Breaking Transfer
Peretz’s transfer from Maccabi Tel Aviv to Bayern Munich is a record-breaking deal for Israeli football. According to Forbes, Bayern Munich will pay an initial €5 million ($5.5 million) plus €2 million in add-ons ($2.2 million) for the Israeli, who also has a German passport. This makes Peretz the second most expensive departure in Maccabi’s history, after another goalkeeper, Pedrag Rajkovic, who joined Reims in France for €5 million in 2019. Peretz is also the most expensive Israeli goalkeeper ever and the fourth most expensive Israeli player of all time.
A Versatile and Athletic Goalkeeper
Peretz is a versatile and athletic goalkeeper who can play with both feet and has excellent reflexes and agility. He is also known for his leadership and communication skills on the pitch. He has been praised by his former coach at Maccabi Tel Aviv, Patrick van Leeuwen, who said: “He is a modern goalkeeper who can play with his feet, he is very fast and explosive, he has a good personality and he is very ambitious.” Peretz has also impressed Bayern Munich’s director of sport, Christoph Freund, who said: “He is a young goalkeeper with a lot of potential and we are convinced that he will develop well at Bayern Munich.”
A Successful Career in Israel
Peretz started his career at Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth academy and made his debut for the senior team in 2020. He quickly established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper and helped Maccabi win two consecutive league titles in 2021 and 2022. He also played in the Europa League and the Champions League qualifiers, where he faced teams like Dynamo Kyiv, Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Salzburg. He made 67 appearances for Maccabi in all competitions, keeping 32 clean sheets and conceding 51 goals.
A National Team Regular
Peretz made his debut for the Israeli national team in 2021, becoming the youngest goalkeeper to play for Israel at the age of 21. He has since become a regular starter for the national team, playing in the World Cup qualifiers and the Nations League. He has earned 15 caps for Israel so far, keeping six clean sheets and conceding 12 goals. He was also part of the Israeli squad that won the gold medal at the 2021 Maccabiah Games, a multi-sport event for Jewish athletes.
A Backup and Future Prospect for Bayern Munich
Peretz will join Bayern Munich as a backup and future prospect for the club’s captain and first-choice goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who is recovering from a broken leg. Peretz will compete with Sven Ulreich for the starting spot while Neuer is unavailable. Bayern Munich’s coach Thomas Tuchel said: “We have positive news: Manu’s latest operation had a very positive effect. The time off before returning to team training has been significantly reduced. I’ve seen him train for the last two days. What I saw was very impressive. We expect him to get back into team training in the next few weeks.” Tuchel added: “Ulle is doing very well at the moment, but we can’t do it with Ulle alone. We’re still looking (for a solution), but I won’t comment on any names.” Peretz will hope to learn from Neuer and Ulreich and prove himself at Bayern Munich.
