Manchester City Signs Gerónimo Rulli Until 2028
Manchester City did not waste a second after Trafford’s departure. The Premier League champions have tied up a £1.7 million deal for Gerónimo Rulli from Marseille, bringing the Argentine back to a club where, once upon a time, he never actually played.
Back in 2016-17, Rulli’s first spell in Manchester passed quietly, without a single first-team appearance. This time, he returns as something very different: a 34-year-old serial winner, hardened by years in Europe’s major leagues and trusted on the international stage. City have handed him a contract running through to the summer of 2028, a clear sign they see more than just short-term cover.
From forgotten loanee to decorated champion
The contrast could hardly be sharper. The goalkeeper who slipped through that first stint unnoticed is now a Europa League winner, a World Cup winner, and a Copa America winner. He has built a reputation across Real Sociedad, Montpellier, Ajax and Villarreal as a sharp shot-stopper with the temperament for big nights.
Rulli made no attempt to hide how much this second chance in Manchester means to him. He spoke about the pull of the Etihad era, of a club whose standards and success left him with only one choice.
“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, underlining how quickly he made up his mind.
“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.”
The words fit the club’s image, but they also suit Rulli’s own story. He has built his career by stepping into pressure and staying there.
City’s goalkeeping union reshaped
Inside the club, the move is seen as a targeted response to Trafford’s exit rather than a simple numbers play. Football Director Hugo Viana highlighted the standards Rulli lives by as a decisive factor.
“The experience he brings is obvious – he has played at the very highest level for many years. 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 said.
City believe the goalkeeping department is now fully armed for the demands of another long season.
“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.”
It is a blend of profiles: youth, prime, and now a veteran with scars and medals in equal measure.
A man for the moment
If one night sums up why City moved for Rulli, it is Gdańsk, May 2021. In the Europa League final, Villarreal and Manchester United went all the way to a marathon penalty shootout. Rulli did not just stand on his line and hope. He stepped up, buried his own spot-kick, then denied David de Gea to win the trophy for the Yellow Submarine. Composure under the heaviest strain: exactly what elite sides crave in a backup who may be called upon at any moment.
His international résumé only strengthens the case. Rulli has eight caps for Argentina and has been trusted as part of squads that lifted the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa America, and that reached the 2026 World Cup final. He has not always been the headline act, but he has consistently been close to the centre of the biggest stages the game can offer.
Now he walks back into Manchester, older, decorated, and far more sure of who he is. City wanted a goalkeeper who understands what it takes to live inside a winning machine. They have signed one who has already helped build a few.
