Manchester City have moved quickly to sort out another piece of business, and this one is hard to miss: Gerónimo Rulli is set to head to Manchester after the clubs reached an agreement on his transfer. In a summer when every squad decision is being judged against the demands of multiple competitions, City have made it clear they want more certainty in goal, not less.
The Argentine goalkeeper, who is currently with Olympique Marseille, has been given the green light to travel to Manchester for medical tests. That is the practical next step now, and it tells you plenty about how advanced the move has become. This is not a vague link or a half-formed rumour. It is a deal that has been pushed to the point where the paperwork and the checks matter more than the speculation.
Why the move matters
The key detail is the contract length. Rulli is set to sign until June 2028, with an option to extend to June 2029. That gives Manchester City room to think beyond the immediate season, which is exactly how a club preparing for different competitions should behave. If the goal is to build depth and avoid being caught short, then this is the sort of agreement that makes sense on paper.
There is also the simple reality of the market. Recent press reports had estimated the fee at close to €40 million, while Rulli was already under contract with Marseille until the summer of 2028. So this is not a case of a player being grabbed because he is available at any price. It is a serious move involving a goalkeeper with a contract situation that clearly needed a proper agreement between Manchester City and Marseille before anything else could happen.
For City, the logic is obvious enough: add a proven option, strengthen the goalkeeping department, and head into the new season with fewer questions hanging over the position. For Rulli, the next step is equally clear. Travel to Manchester, complete the medical tests, and turn an agreement into a completed transfer.
In other words, the hard part is done. Now Manchester City just need the final boxes ticked before they can welcome another goalkeeper into a squad that is already being shaped for a busy season ahead.
