Goalkeeper Competition Looms as HSV sign Daniel Peretz on Loan from Bayern Munich

Hamburger SV will seemingly have an open competition for the starting goalkeeper spot between longtime stalwart and promotion hero Daniel Heuer Fernandes and loanee Daniel Peretz

It’s been a busy summer for Hamburger SV as the Red Shorts look to bolster their squad after winning promotion back to the Bundesliga last season. Having already strengthened their attack, midfield and defense with various signings, the team from the Hansestadt officially announced a signing that will more than likely lead to an open competition in goal with the addition of 25-year-old Israeli keeper Daniel Peretz on loan from Bayern Munich.

Peretz joined the German Rekordmeister in August of 2023 from Israeli side Maccabi Tel-Aviv for a fee of five million euros. Since his arrival in Munich nearly two years ago, Peretz has played only sparingly as a backup to the legendary Manuel Neuer. In his first season with Bayern, Peretz made just one appearance as a substitute on the final matchday of the season. Even though Neuer was hurt at the start of that season, former Bayern trainer Thomas Tuchel had elected to start veteran (and former HSV keeper) Sven Ulreich over Peretz.

Last season Peretz was given an opportunity for Bayern when Neuer was sent off in a DFB-Pokal tie against Bayer Leverkusen, which was eventually won 1-0 by Leverkusen. Neuer missed the final few matches of 2024, leading to Peretz making three starts, in which he conceded five goals.

Neuer returned after the winter break for Bayern, but when he went out with injury again it wasn’t Peretz who took his place. Over the winter break, Bayern had signed 21-year-old talent Jonas Urbig from 1.FC Köln as the presumptive heir apparent to the 39-year-old Neuer.

Peretz is not the first young goalkeeper whom Bayern has signed as an heir apparent to Neuer only to sit on the bench primarily. In 2019, Bayern signed Alexander Nübel from Schalke as a likely successor. Now, in 2025, Nübel is still on a seemingly never-ending loan (now at VfB Stuttgart). With Urbig now in the picture at Bayern, Peretz was seeking a move elsewhere, and HSV appear ready to give him a real chance to compete with incumbent Daniel Heuer Fernandes for the starting goalkeeper spot. It’s worth noting that Peretz’s loan does not come with an option to buy at the end of the season.

Heuer Fernandes, 32, made 31 of 34 possible league starts last season, conceding 39 goals. He kept eight clean sheets in the league. Heuer Fernandes also provided one of the most memorable moments in the promotion campaign, when he saved a penalty from Ulm’s Semir Telalovic in the promotion clinching match on Matchday 33. Though HSV went on to win that match in convincing 6-1 fashion, it was 1-1 at the time, and had been a somewhat cagey affair. Heuer Fernandes’ save served as a shot in the arm for the Red Shorts ten minutes before the half. HSV scored twice in those ten minutes, and never looked back in the second half.

While Heuer Fernandes is one of the promotion heroes from last season, and will certainly figure into the equation one way or another this season, Sporting Director Stefan Kuntz, Director of Football Claus Costa, and Trainer Merlin Polzin have made no secret of their desire to bring in competition at nearly every position, given the increase in quality from the 2.Bundesliga to the Bundesliga. This has been reflected in nearly every area of the pitch so far. Rayan Philippe and Yussuf Poulsen have been brought in (from Eintracht Braunschweig and RB Leipzig, respectively) to strengthen the attack. Nicolai Remberg and Nicolás Capaldo were brought in (from Holstein Kiel and Red Bull Salzburg) to bolster the midfield. Jordan Torunarigha was brought in from KAA Gent to fortify the defense. Now with Peretz HSV have also added competition between the posts. More moves are still rumored.

Kuntz and Costa will not have brought in Peretz just for him to sit on the bench, so even if Heuer Fernandes proves to be the overall winner of the goalkeeping competition, it is fair to expect that Peretz has been guaranteed at least some playing time. In the club’s official announcement, Costa praised Peretz’s qualities, and emphasized the hope that Peretz and Heuer Fernandes will make each other – and the whole team – better:

“Daniel is a complete goalkeeper who defends his box with courage and who has an excellent mentality… After signing him, we have exceptional depth in the goalkeeper position and are hoping that the lads will push one another to be on their A-game” (hsv.de)

The move also ensures depth at the goalkeeping position, after Matheo Raab’s move to Union Berlin several weeks ago and Tom Mickel’s retirement earlier in the offseason. Prior to the signing of Peretz, the next keeper on the depth chart would have been academy talent Hannes Hermann, who is yet to feature in a senior team match for HSV.

Peretz and Heuer Fernandes will duke it out for the starting goalkeeper spot in training, and in HSV’s two remaining friendly matches (one against Olympique Lyon and the other against RCD Mallorca) before the season truly kicks off with the DFB-Pokal first round match against FK Pirmasens on August 16th, and the Bundesliga season opener on August 24th away against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Schonlau, Poręba, Jatta, and Paul Wanner – Rumor Roundup:

If rumors are true, HSV is not done in the transfer market. It’s been rumored that the Red Shorts want to sign at least one more center back, and possibly a right back. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that club captain Sebastian Schonlau (who lost his starting center back spot to Daniel Elfadli pretty much once Merlin Polzin took over as head coach) has been linked to a possible exit.

Winger Bakery Jatta, who is HSV’s longest tenured player (since 2016) has been rumored to be looking for a move, as he projects to be buried in the depth chart of wingers. Jatta spent almost the entire Rückrunde last season injured.

Reserve midfielder Lukasz Poręba, who mostly played only when injury or suspension required him to, has been rumored to be available for a loan move, with several 2.Bundesliga clubs reportedly interested.

HSV have also been connected with a possible loan move for Bayern Munich attacking midfielder Paul Wanner, who is one of the most exciting young players in Germany. Wanner spent last season on loan at FC Heidenheim as one of the most important players in their survival campaign. He had been on loan at SV Elversberg the season before. While Bayern Trainer Vincent Kompany has been hesitant to play young players, he may have no choice but to give Wanner a chance given the gruesome injury that Jamal Musiala suffered in the Club World Cup Quarterfinal against Paris Saint-Germain. While a move is still possible, it is probably far less likely now that Musiala will be out for the foreseeable future.