Manchester City Signs Geronimo Rulli as Goalkeeper Replacement
Manchester City have turned to a familiar name to reshape their goalkeeping department, agreeing a £1.7m deal to sign Argentina international Geronimo Rulli from Marseille.
The move brings the 34-year-old back to the Etihad Stadium, eight years after he first signed for the club in 2016. That stint passed quietly: he never made a first-team appearance before moving on. This time, the role is clear and defined. Rulli arrives on a two-year contract as understudy to established number one Gianluigi Donnarumma.
City’s decision follows the departure of England goalkeeper James Trafford, who joined Leeds earlier this week in a deal worth up to £45m. Trafford’s exit created a vacancy behind Donnarumma, and City have chosen experience, not potential, to fill it.
Rulli brings plenty of that. He is best remembered by many in England for one remarkable night in Gdansk. In the 2021 Europa League final, the then-Villarreal goalkeeper stepped up in the shootout against Manchester United, buried his own penalty, then denied David de Gea to clinch the trophy in a nerve-shredding conclusion. A goalkeeper deciding a European final with boot and gloves – that kind of moment lingers.
His CV stretches across the continent. Rulli has had spells with Real Sociedad in Spain, Montpellier in France and Ajax in the Netherlands, as well as his time at Villarreal and, most recently, Marseille. He has operated in high-pressure environments, in different leagues, in front of demanding crowds. City know exactly what they are getting: a seasoned professional comfortable in the spotlight but willing to live in the shadow of a first-choice keeper.
On the international stage, Rulli has eight caps for Argentina and has been part of one of the most successful periods in the nation’s history. He was in the squads that lifted the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa America, training daily in the most intense of camps, ready if called, accepting that his job was as much about preparation and presence as it was about minutes.
That is the assignment in Manchester now. Donnarumma remains the undisputed number one. Behind him, Rulli’s task is to offer calm assurance: a reliable deputy for domestic cups and rotation games, and a steady voice in the dressing room of a squad built to chase every trophy.
For City, it is a low-cost, low-drama solution in a crucial position. For Rulli, it is a second chance at a club that once passed him by without a single appearance. This time, he arrives not as a prospect, but as a proven survivor of Europe’s hardest nights.
