Manchester City Re-sign Gerónimo Rulli for £1.7m

Manchester City have turned to a familiar face to reinforce their goalkeeping ranks, agreeing a £1.7m deal to bring Argentina international Gerónimo Rulli back to the Etihad Stadium from Marseille.

The 34-year-old has signed a two-year contract, returning to a club where he once passed through almost unnoticed. Rulli was on City’s books in the 2016-17 season but never played a first-team minute before moving on. This time, he arrives with a heavyweight CV and a reputation forged on some of the biggest stages in the game.

Rulli’s name is etched into European football folklore thanks to one extraordinary night in Gdańsk. In the 2021 Europa League final, the Villarreal goalkeeper stepped up in the penalty shootout against Manchester United, converted his own spot-kick, then denied David de Gea to seal the trophy in dramatic fashion. A goalkeeper deciding a European final with both boot and gloves – those moments stick.

Since that triumph, his career has continued to track alongside success. Rulli has collected eight caps for Argentina and was part of the squads that lifted the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa America, embedding himself in one of the most competitive national-team setups on the planet. He may not have been the headline act in those tournaments, but living daily at that level sharpens a player in ways clubs covet.

His journey around Europe has been long and varied: Real Sociedad, Montpellier, Ajax, Villarreal and most recently Marseille have all shaped a goalkeeper comfortable with the ball at his feet and hardened by different leagues and expectations. City now tap into that experience at a fraction of the price such pedigree usually commands.

For Rulli, the move offers a chance to close a circle that was barely drawn the first time. For City, it is a low-cost, high-experience addition to one of the most demanding squads in world football. The only question now is simple: after once leaving Manchester without a single appearance, how big a role will he carve out on his return?