City’s Goalkeeping Changes
Manchester City has reached an agreement with Marseille for a €2million deal to re-sign goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli. The move comes as City seeks to fill a void in their goalkeeping department following the departure of James Trafford, who recently transferred to Leeds in a deal valued at up to £45m.
Rulli, an Argentina international, was previously with Manchester City a decade ago after signing from Deportivo Maldonado. During that initial period, he did not make an appearance for the Premier League club, instead being loaned to Real Sociedad before joining them permanently in January 2017.
His career has since included stints at various European clubs such as Villarreal, Ajax, and Marseille. Rulli has spent the last two seasons in France with Marseille, where he made 73 appearances and contributed to their second-place finish in Ligue 1 during the 2024-25 season.
Rulli’s Role and International Experience
The 34-year-old goalkeeper is expected to serve as an understudy to Gianluigi Donnarumma. City reportedly views Rulli as a traditional backup goalkeeper, well-suited to the club’s playing style and possessing significant experience, particularly with teams accustomed to playing out from the back. His relatively low transfer fee also suggests his role as a deputy.
Rulli has earned eight caps for Argentina. This summer, he was part of his nation’s squad that reached the World Cup final, serving as a backup to Emiliano Martinez, though he did not feature in any matches during the tournament.
Upon his return to Manchester City, Rulli will join the squad after their pre-season tour of Hong Kong and South Korea concludes next week. He will also have the opportunity to work alongside fellow countryman and former City goalkeeper Willy Caballero, who is a member of Enzo Maresca’s backroom staff.
Departures and Squad Adjustments
The decision to bring Rulli back follows James Trafford’s move to Leeds United. Trafford, an England international, signed a five-year deal at Elland Road, becoming Daniel Farke’s third summer signing. City has included a 20 per cent sell-on clause in the deal and retains a matching rights option to re-sign Trafford if he leaves Leeds in the future.
Trafford’s departure was reportedly influenced by his dissatisfaction with City’s acquisition of Gianluigi Donnarumma last summer, shortly after Trafford’s own return to the club from Burnley. Despite helping City secure the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, Trafford sought more consistent first-team opportunities in the Premier League.
Leeds, in turn, was in search of a new goalkeeper after the departures of both Illan Meslier and Karl Darlow, who moved to Arsenal and Manchester United respectively for backup roles. Lucas Perri, signed by Leeds last year, also lost his starting position.
In addition to Trafford, Leeds has also signed Harry Wilson on a free transfer from Fulham and Bosnia international Tarik Muharemovic for £34m from Sassuolo. Their previous record signing was Georginio Rutter for £40m.
Manchester City’s summer transfer activity has been developing gradually, following the record signing of Elliot Anderson. The club is also reportedly prepared to replace Rodri if the Spain international completes a move to Barcelona. This potential move is separate from any interest in Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi. City also aims to replace other potential departures, including Savinho, who has attracted interest from Tottenham, and Tijjani Reijnders, linked with Nottingham Forest, among other clubs.
Earlier this summer, City re-signed former academy goalkeeper Pierce Charles from Sheffield Wednesday, who will spend the 2026-27 season on loan at Queens Park Rangers. The players who participated in the latter stages of the World Cup are expected to report for their first training session under Enzo Maresca on Wednesday.
Source: nytimes.com