Southampton sorted their goalkeeper for the season back in the spring. Peretz arrived on loan from Bayern Munich, kept his place, and then made the move permanent this summer.
That much is settled, which is exactly why the queue behind him has become the summer's quiet headache.
The pecking order is set
The Israeli is the clear number one after that half-season rescue act. On loan, he posted a 77.3% save success rate at a 7.43 rating.
That form made keeping him a no-brainer. George Long stays on as the trusted deputy, his own loan turned permanent too.
So the top two spots are spoken for. That leaves Aaron Ramsdale and Gavin Bazunu out in the cold.
Both are back at Staplewood, and neither is leapfrogging Peretz. Saints Marching flagged a key goalkeeper call as the new season nears.
Why both need to move on
Start with Bazunu. The Ireland international has been chasing rhythm since a run of injuries stalled him.
A winter loan at Stoke City was meant to kick-start him, though it never quite took off. Derby County have taken notice all the same.
Their number one, Jacob Widell Zetterström, is tipped to leave, and manager John Eustace knows Bazunu from the Ireland setup. A move there would hand Bazunu regular football at last.
Ramsdale is the trickier one. The England international came back this summer once Newcastle passed on their buy option.
His wages sit north of £100,000 a week. That is a hefty outlay for a third-choice keeper.
Plenty of clubs still fancy him, though, and Southampton value him at around £25m, so a buyer should not be hard to find. A return to Arsenal has been mooted. The champions could do far worse than have Ramsdale on their books again, even as a backup keeper to Raya.
The Saints begin 2026/27 in the Championship on minus four points, and with no guarantee of promotion, the wage bill has to work.
Clearing both frees money and unclogs the position. The club carries four senior keepers, a glut the Saints nodded to on their own account.
The perfect replacement for Ramsdale already sits in the building. Peretz and Long can cover a promotion push between them.
None of this knocks either man. Ramsdale and Bazunu are good keepers in their own right who deserve to play, just not here.
Get them settled elsewhere and everyone wins. The pair get their opportunities, and Southampton get a leaner squad for the campaign ahead.
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