For the most part, Southampton are currently experiencing an unbelievable summer transfer window.
The recent development that Ross Stewart will walk away from the building this summer on a free transfer will sting; there's no doubting that, but this blow can be stomached.
Indeed, while the Scotsman has failed to agree a new contract, the Saints have managed to convince both Daniel Peretz and Cyle Larin to put pen to paper on permanent deals, alongside tying down James Bree to a contract extension, after the one-time Charlton Athletic loanee experienced a breakout second half of the 2025/26 campaign.
Peretz really does stick out as the pick of the bunch when looking at these whirlwind deals that have already been secured, with the Israel international a perfect fit at St. Mary's from minute one of his loan deal last season.
Why Peretz rejoining is an exceptional deal
With the fallout from Spygate killing Southampton's promotion dreams, Saints fans would have been resigned to the fact that Peretz's stay on the South Coast was going to be nothing more than a fleeting one.
Peretz would just be viewed as a loan gem, and nothing more, with a stunning eight clean sheets collected last season from 22 Championship appearances.
Instead of having the 25-year-old to fall back on in between the sticks, who had finally solved their crisis of consistently having wobbly goalkeepers, the harsh reality of Gavin Bazunu returning would soon slap Saints fans across the face, or so they thought.
On the 5th of June, it was confirmed that Peretz would actually be coming back to Southampton for good from Bayern Munich, for a modest £6m.
At only 25 years of age, Tonda Eckert and Co now have a reliable number one keeper set in stone for many years to come, with the signing going down as a major statement of intent that the South Coast side will quickly bounce back from Spygate and be in the promotion positions again.
However, while Southampton fans will be over the moon with this pick-up, they will be beside themselves even more if their beloved team can pull off this audacious deal shortly.
The move that could be even better than Peretz's
There are murmurs at the moment that Southampton could be in the market for James Ward-Prowse this off-season.
It would be a sensational return for Ward-Prowse to his boyhood club if a move was pulled off, with the 31-year-old a modern-day great at St. Mary's, that's for sure.
At one stage during his lengthy Saints career, everything he touched turned to gold, with the 11-time England international well-known for being a free-kick maestro.
Indeed, a large portion of his weighty 55 goals for the South Coast giants came about from a free-kick situation, with Pep Guardiola - who has surrounded himself with unbelievable talents throughout his career - once lauding the skilful Englishman as the "best free-kick taker" he has ever laid his eyes on.
In a class of his own. pic.twitter.com/KEDuv96VjW
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) January 21, 2022
With a further 52 assists falling into his back pocket, too, from 410 appearances, he was once one of the top-flight's most eye-catching creators.
This second-to-none free-kick taking ability in the Championship would be such a lethal weapon for Eckert to rely on, with Ward-Prowse's 422 Premier League appearances making him a cut-above talent for the second tier.
With Shea Charles potentially set to leave the building, as well, Ward-Prowse would be a dream replacement.
Peretz staying put was a huge sign that the Saints were pulling no punches in their mission to seal promotion next season.
If Ward-Prowse were to also enter the building, Eckert's men would have to be viewed as an unignorable promotion contender.
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