City close in on deal for Argentina goalkeeper Rulli

City have agreed a deal in principle to sign Geronimo Rulli from Marseille, with the Argentine goalkeeper set to undergo a medical on Monday ahead of an expected return to the club nearly a decade after his first spell there.

Fabrizio Romano reported the agreement between the two clubs on Friday, noting that a club statement would follow pending the medical. Jack Gaughan has since reported the fee at up to £1.7m, broadly in line with other reporting that has placed the fee in the region of €2m to €3.5m. Rulli is understood to have agreed personal terms on a two-year contract through 2028, with an option for a further year.

The move would bring Rulli back to Manchester City for the first time since 2016, when he joined from Real Sociedad’s parent club without ever making a first-team appearance before being sold on.

Since then, he has built a career across Villarreal, Ajax and Marseille, most notably saving the decisive penalty in Villarreal’s 2021 Europa League final shootout win over Manchester United. He has eight caps for Argentina and was an unused squad member as Emiliano Martínez’s backup during their 2022 World Cup win.

He would arrive as cover for Gianluigi Donnarumma following James Trafford’s departure to Leeds United, addressing a gap City needed to fill before the new season. Marseille, for their part, are reportedly lining up Marcin Bulka as a replacement.

Our Man City live transfer tracker has the latest on all deals in and around the Etihad this summer.