Manchester City Signs Geronimo Rulli as Goalkeeper Replacement

Manchester City have turned to a familiar face to reshape their goalkeeping department, striking a £1.7m deal to sign Argentina international Geronimo Rulli from Marseille.

The 34-year-old returns to the Etihad Stadium on a two-year contract, eight years after his first spell at the club in 2016-17, when he never made a first-team appearance and slipped quietly back into European football. This time, he arrives with a career’s worth of scars, medals and big‑stage nerve.

Rulli steps in as the direct replacement for England goalkeeper James Trafford, who left earlier in the week to join Leeds in a move worth up to £45m. Where Trafford represented City’s future, Rulli is the seasoned insurance policy, coming in to sit behind undisputed number one Gianluigi Donnarumma and steady the depth chart.

If his first stint at City was anonymous, the years that followed were anything but. Rulli carved out a reputation across Europe with Real Sociedad, Montpellier, Ajax and, most memorably, Villarreal, where he wrote his name into club folklore in the 2021 Europa League final.

That night in Gdańsk turned a solid professional into a headline act. Rulli not only converted his own penalty in the shootout against Manchester United, he then denied David de Gea with the decisive save to clinch the trophy after an extraordinary, marathon sequence of spot-kicks. One kick, one save, and a continental title delivered.

His club form pushed him into the Argentina setup, where he has earned eight caps and, crucially, a place in two historic squads. Rulli was part of the group that lifted the 2022 World Cup and followed it up with the 2024 Copa America, adding heavyweight honours to his CV even if he was not the undisputed starter.

For City, the move is low-cost and low-risk, but far from insignificant. A World Cup and Copa America winner now backs up Donnarumma, bringing experience of high-pressure occasions and a proven calm from 12 yards if knockout nights tighten.

Rulli once passed through Manchester without leaving a trace. This time, with a decorated career behind him and a clear role ahead, he arrives ready-made for the demands of a squad chasing trophies on every front.