Southampton need a goalkeeper this summer. That sentence alone should sting. Because they already have the right man. The problem is whether they can keep him.
Daniel Peretz arrived in January on loan from Bayern Munich and transformed Southampton's season overnight. His numbers were exceptional. His presence gave the defence a confidence it had lacked for months. The purchase option of €7 to €8 million was considered a 'no-brainer'.
But with Championship football cruelly confirmed for next season, other clubs are circling. Johannes Spors must prepare for the unpalatable possibility that Peretz will move on.
So who fills that gap? Three names have emerged. None of them are Peretz.
The options on the table
Here is how three obvious candidates compare using FotMob stats for 2025-26:
Goalkeeper | Club | Apps | Save % | Rating | Clean Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anthony Patterson | Millwall (loan) | 16 | 73.6 | 7.27 | 7 |
Radek Vitek | Bristol City (loan) | 26 | 69.7 | 7.05 | 9 |
Alex Palmer | Ipswich Town | 10 | 64.3 | n/a | 1 |
Anthony Patterson made 16 Championship appearances for Millwall after joining on loan from Sunderland in February, keeping seven clean sheets as part of an organised and disciplined defensive setup. His FotMob rating of 7.27 is genuinely impressive and makes him the standout option among the three.
Patterson is 25, experienced in the Championship and available. His loan expires on June 30th, and Sunderland, now in the Premier League, may be open to a permanent sale. At a reported market value of £8.5 million, he represents good value.
Radek Vitek made 41 appearances for Bristol City this season across their 46 fixtures, keeping 12 clean sheets and playing 3,690 minutes. That workload alone tells you something about his reliability.
At 22, he is the youngest of the three and on loan from Manchester United, with his loan contract expiring in June. Southampton could potentially secure him on a permanent deal for something in the region of £5.1 million.
Vitek signed a contract extension at United until 2028, and they will not be prepared to let him go cheaply.
Alex Palmer is the weakest option of the three. He made just 10 Championship appearances for Ipswich Town this season, keeping one clean sheet with a 64.3% save rate.
Palmer has quality and Championship experience from his West Brom days, but his numbers this season do not suggest he is the answer.
A fourth alternative?
Another notable player, so far missing in the conversation, is Southampton youngster Ollie Wright, who has been outstanding on loan at Accrington Stanley. The 23-year-old won the club's player of the season award during his first EFL loan.
Southampton's own academy loan watch noted he made his mark immediately, saving a penalty on his first League Two appearance and nailing down the starting spot after impressing against Grimsby Town.
A 74% save rate and 10 clean sheets from 32 League Two appearances is a strong return. For context, that save percentage is actually higher than Bazunu, McCarthy and Ramsdale, though League Two is a different level of competition to the Championship and Premier League.
The option Southampton really want
Although Patterson and Videk are viable alternatives to Peretz (Palmer not so much), neither of these can match what Peretz delivered in the second half of the season. His 76.3% save rate and seven clean sheets from 20 league appearances put him in a different league (probably literally).
Southampton should trigger the purchase option, pay Peretz the Earth, and get the deal done, removing this conversation from the agenda entirely.
If he leaves, Patterson is the most logical replacement. His rating, his experience and his age all make sense for a club rebuilding under pressure.
But the right answer has been at St Mary's since January. The club just needs the kahunas to make it happen.
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