Gerónimo Rulli set for Manchester City move as backup goalkeeper
Gerónimo Rulli, the 34‑year‑old Argentine goalkeeper of Olympique Marseille, is the subject of a transfer to Premier League champions Manchester City. He is under contract with Marseille until June 2027 and is valued at roughly €6‑10 million. City have identified him as the preferred backup to Gianluigi Donnarumma after current backup James Trafford is expected to join Leeds United. Reports from Fabrizio Romano and other sources say an agreement in principle has been reached, with a contract that could run to June 2028 and a fee of around €10 million expected to be paid to Marseille.
Marseille have already begun planning for Rulli’s departure. The club have named Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes as their top candidate to succeed Rulli, and have indicated that the youngster could be transferred for around €18 million. The move would help the French side balance its books while providing City with an experienced second‑choice keeper before the new season begins.
Entities: Atalanta Bergamo · Bruno Genesio · Gerónimo Rulli · Gianluigi Donnarumma · Gregory Lorenz · Gregory Lorenzi · Guillaume Restes · James Trafford · Manchester City Football Club · Mitchel Bakker · Olympique de Marseille · Timothy Weah
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Gerónimo Rulli is under contract with Olympique de Marseille until June 2027. (player contract)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Rulli was part of the Argentina squad that won the 2022 World Cup and were runners‑up at the 2026 World Cup.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Enzo Maresca is the manager of Manchester City overseeing the potential Rulli signing.
- [● 8 SOURCES] Manchester City are targeting Gerónimo Rulli as a backup goalkeeper. (transfer target)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Gerónimo Rulli's market value is estimated at €6 million‑€10 million. (valuation estimate)
- [● 5 SOURCES] James Trafford is expected to transfer to Leeds United. (player transfer rumor)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Rulli previously joined Manchester City in 2016 but never made a competitive appearance and was loaned back to Real Sociedad.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Manchester City have reached an agreement in principle with Gerónimo Rulli for a contract until June 2028. (transfer agreement)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Olympique Marseille consider Guillaume Restes the preferred successor goalkeeper to Gerónimo Rulli. (club planning)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Gerónimo Rulli kept eight clean sheets in 29 Ligue 1 appearances for Marseille. (performance statistic)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Manchester City aim to sign Gerónimo Rulli before the start of the new season. (transfer intent)