Israeli goalie Daniel Peretz signs with German soccer powerhouse Bayern Munich
CEO of Bavarian soccer club hails Maccabi Tel Aviv goalkeeper’s ‘great potential,’ following breakout performance at U-21 this summer
MUNICH — Bayern Munich signed Israeli goalkeeper Daniel Peretz from Maccabi Tel Aviv on Friday, in one of the most high-profile moves for an Israeli player in recent years.
The Bavarian powerhouse said in a statement that the 23-year-old Peretz has signed a five-year deal through June 2028 and will wear the No. 18 shirt.
“Daniel is a goalkeeper with great potential. In his young years he’s already proven his ability not just at a domestic level but also in international competitions,” Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen said.
Peretz joined Maccabi as a six-year-old and worked his way through its youth teams to make his debut with the senior team in August 2021. He previously spent a season on loan at Beitar Tel Aviv Bat Yam in Israel’s second division.
Peretz made his debut for Israel last November after representing the country’s youth teams since 2016. He impressed at the Under-21 Championship in Georgia and Romania this summer and caught Bayern’s eye with a string of saves to help hold Germany to a 1-1 draw.
He also saved a penalty as Israel defeated host Georgia to qualify for the semifinals, where it lost to eventual champion England.
“That was the final moment when we decided that this could be a very good addition to our goalkeeper group and to our club,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said before the transfer was confirmed Friday. “And yeah, his talent, his personality is a very good mix that fits us very well.”
Signing Peretz may bring to an end Bayern’s summer-long search for a goalkeeper, with the future of long-time keeper and captain Manuel Neuer unclear.
Bayern kicked off its Bundesliga title defense on August 18 with a 4-0 win at Werder Bremen.
The 37-year-old Neuer hasn’t played since the World Cup last year after he broke his leg in a ski accident in December. He wasn’t on Bayern’s pre-season tour of Japan and Singapore as Swiss keeper Yann Sommer — signed in January as a replacement during Neuer’s injury — and longtime backup Sven Ulreich split the goalkeeping duties.
But Sommer has now also left, signing for Champions League runner-up Inter Milan, and another Bayern goalkeeper, Alexander Nübel, has already been sent to Stuttgart on loan.
Bayern has been repeatedly linked with other goalkeepers during the German transfer window, alongside the club’s pursuit of Tottenham striker Harry Kane. Given the uncertainty over Neuer’s return to fitness, it is hard to assess how much playing time Peretz will get.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
