Manchester City have completed the signing of goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, bringing the Argentine back to the Etihad Stadium as a low-cost replacement for James Trafford following his departure earlier in the transfer window.
The 34-year-old joins from Marseille for a fee of £1.7m, arriving on a two-year contract that will see him serve as deputy to first-choice stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The move comes shortly after City sold Trafford to Leeds United in a deal that could rise to £45m, opening up the need for a new backup option between the posts.
Rulli's return to City marks a somewhat unusual homecoming, given he was originally signed by the club back in 2016 but never actually featured for the first team. Instead, he was sent out on loan to Real Sociedad before that move was made permanent, meaning his fresh arrival now represents his first spell actually playing for City since being on their books nearly a decade ago.
Since leaving City's orbit, Rulli has built an impressive résumé, featuring for Ajax, Montpellier and Villarreal, where he was part of the side that lifted the Europa League in 2021. He played a starring role in that triumph, converting the winning penalty in the shootout victory over Manchester United in the final.
On the international stage, Rulli was part of Argentina's World Cup-winning squad in Qatar in 2022 and remained involved with the national team this past summer as they reached another final.
Speaking about his move, Rulli expressed enthusiasm at the chance to join City, describing it as an opportunity he felt compelled to take. "This is an amazing opportunity for me and one I had to grasp," he said. "When the chance to join Manchester City comes along you have to go for it. Everyone knows what an impressive club this is. City's success over a long time has been impressive. Everyone I have spoken to about City said I had to join them because they are a club with incredibly high standards."
The goalkeeper also revealed he sought advice from his Argentina teammate Julian Alvarez, who spent time at City before his move to Atletico Madrid, before finalising his decision. Rulli added that the pursuit of a competitive environment was central to his motivation for the switch. "Every professional wants to be in a high-performance environment and I can't wait to get started because I know I will improve and learn, which is always my main priority," he said.
City's director of football, Hugo Viana, welcomed the signing and praised the experience Rulli brings to the goalkeeping department. "The experience he brings is obvious – he has played at the very highest level for many years," Viana said. "I have been really impressed by him during our conversations, a strong desire to join us. It's clear we are getting a brilliant professional, as well as a top keeper."
Viana went on to highlight how Rulli fits into the club's broader goalkeeping structure alongside Donnarumma and third-choice Marcus Bettinelli. "The qualities he will bring are ones we need, and together with Gigio and Marcus make a great team. Our goalkeeper coaches are really happy with the group," he said.
With Trafford's exit finalised and Rulli now in place, City's goalkeeping options for the upcoming campaign appear settled, with the experienced Argentine adding depth and tournament-winning pedigree to the squad.
Based on reporting from The Independent.