Gerónimo Rulli Returns to Manchester City as Goalkeeper

Gerónimo Rulli is back at Manchester City. This time, he’s here to play a part.

City have completed the signing of the Argentine international from Marseille in a £2 million ($2.7 million) deal, handing the 32-year-old a two-year contract that runs until 2028. He arrives as understudy to first-choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, adding experience and pedigree to a position City have treated with ruthless seriousness in recent years.

For Rulli, it was an offer he felt he simply could not turn down.

“This is an amazing opportunity for me - and one I had to grasp. When the chance to join Manchester City comes along you have to go for it,” he said. “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.

“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. My job now is to train hard, get to know the players and staff and do everything I can to reach my best level.”

City know exactly what they’re getting. Rulli has lived some of the most pressurised moments the modern game can offer.

The former Ajax and Villarreal goalkeeper etched his name into European folklore in the 2021 UEFA Europa League final, when Villarreal beat Manchester United. He not only scored in the marathon penalty shootout, he then produced the decisive save to seal the trophy. On the international stage, he has eight caps for Argentina and was part of the squad that lifted the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

This is not his first brush with the Etihad club. Rulli actually spent the 2016-17 season on City’s books, though he never made a competitive appearance before moving on. That earlier spell always felt like a footnote. Now it becomes the prologue.

Football Director Hugo Viana believes City are bringing back a goalkeeper shaped by years at the highest level.

“It's a pleasure to welcome Gerónimo back to the Club. 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.

“Everyone at City is looking forward to welcoming him back to the Club. The qualities he will bring are ones we need, and together with Gigio and Marcus [Bettinelli] make a great team. Our goalkeeper coaches are really happy with the group.”

Rulli now steps into a dressing room stacked with serial winners, knowing his role will be different to the one he enjoyed as a Europa League hero. The challenge is clear: push Donnarumma every day, be ready when called, and raise the standard of the goalkeeping unit.

For a goalkeeper who has already decided one European final with his boot and his gloves, the stage at the Etihad offers a new question: how big an impact can a No 2 really have on a team chasing every major trophy?