Manchester City have agreed a deal with Marseille to sign goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli as a replacement for James Trafford. The Blues will pay the French club an initial £1.4m (€1.6m) in a deal that could be worth £1.7m (€2m) in total, with the transfer expected to be completed next week ahead of the Community Shield.
Trafford's departure to Leeds
City needed to sign a new goalkeeper after accepting a £45m approach from Leeds United for goalkeeper James Trafford. The City academy graduate returned to the club last summer from Burnley for an initial £27m and while he helped the Blues to win the FA Cup and Carabao Cup last year, he was frustrated at not being No.1.
With Gianluigi Donnarumma still backed as the club's first choice goalkeeper under new manager Enzo Maresca, Trafford sought to be a starting keeper and Leeds announced his signing earlier this week. As well as getting at least £40m and potentially £5m more in add-ons, City have inserted a 20 per cent sell-on clause into the deal and will be able to match any bids that other clubs make for him in the future.
Rulli's return to City
That left City needing competition for Donnarumma, though, and they have struck a cheap deal with Marseille to bring Rulli to the Etihad Stadium. The Argentine goalkeeper actually signed for the club in 2016 but was loaned immediately to Real Sociedad and left for there on a permanent deal a year later.
He has since played for Montpellier, Villarreal, Ajax and Marseille and was in goal for Villarreal when they beat Manchester United in the 2021 Europa League final. The 34-year-old could be on the bench next weekend for the Community Shield and is expected to be No.2 for the season after signing a two-year deal.
