Manchester City have signed the goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli from Marseille, the club have confirmed. The Argentina international moves to the Etihad Stadium in a deal worth up to €2m, of which €1.75m is fixed, and has signed a two-year contract.
The 34-year-old replaces James Trafford, who left City for Leeds in a deal worth up to £45m earlier this month, and will act as understudy to the club's number one, Gianluigi Donnarumma. It is Rulli's second spell at the Etihad: he spent the 2016-17 season on City's books without making a first-team appearance.
Since leaving City, Rulli has played for Real Sociedad, Montpellier, Ajax and, most recently, Marseille. He scored a penalty in Villarreal's 2021 Europa League final win over Manchester United, then saved from David de Gea to settle the shootout. He has won eight caps for Argentina and was part of the squads that won the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa America.
Rulli said the move was one he had to make. "This is an amazing opportunity for me and one I had to grasp," he said. "When the chance to join Manchester City comes along you have to go for it. 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. My job now is to train hard, get to know the players and staff and do everything I can to reach my best level."