Manchester City are exploring a return for former goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, nearly a decade after his first stint at the club ended without a single competitive appearance.

The Premier League club are moving to strengthen their goalkeeping options as James Trafford edges closer to a move to Leeds United. The departure of the Englishman leaves head coach Enzo Maresca short of cover behind first-choice stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma heading into the new season.

Romano: City want Rulli as Trafford replacement

According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, City have identified the Argentine as their preferred option to fill the vacancy Trafford’s departure will leave. Romano reported that the 34-year-old is open to the switch, and that Marseille have been made aware of City’s interest as talks over a deal begin to take shape.

City’s willingness to move quickly reflects the scale of turnover expected at the Etihad Stadium this summer, as Maresca reshapes his squad following his appointment as Pep Guardiola’s successor.

With Trafford poised to head to Elland Road for regular first-team football, City are keen to avoid being left short of experienced options in goal before deals are finalised elsewhere.

Rulli’s reported enthusiasm for the move is said to give City a strong platform in negotiations with Marseille, who will nonetheless be reluctant to lose a goalkeeper who has been a reliable presence for the Ligue 1 club in recent seasons.

A second chance after an unfinished first spell

A return to Manchester would complete an unusual circle for Rulli, whose first spell as a City player never truly got going.

He signed from Deportivo Maldonado in the summer of 2016 after a productive loan spell at Real Sociedad, arriving shortly after Guardiola had taken charge at the Etihad.

Despite the switch, Rulli never featured in a competitive fixture for City. He was sent straight back to Real Sociedad on a pre-agreed loan, and by January 2017 the Spanish club had made the move permanent — bringing his time as a City player to a close before he had the chance to establish himself.

In the years since, Rulli has built a career that few would have predicted from those early setbacks.

Spells at Real Sociedad, Villarreal, Ajax and Marseille have been accompanied by significant honours, including the UEFA Europa League and the FIFA World Cup with Argentina, experience that would make him a seasoned addition to any dressing room looking for a dependable deputy.

Should the move go through, Rulli would arrive at a club in transition. Guardiola departed at the end of last season after a decade that brought 20 trophies to the Etihad, with Maresca — his former assistant during City’s treble-winning 2018-19 campaign — now tasked with continuing that success.

Trafford, for his part, has struggled to establish himself as a regular option since returning to the club. Interest from Leeds is understood to represent an opportunity for the 23-year-old to secure the consistent playing time his development requires.

City are not expected to be the only club monitoring the goalkeeper market this summer, but their move for Rulli suggests a clear preference for experience over inexperience in the number two role behind Donnarumma.

Whether that experience proves enough to finally give Rulli his City debut, nearly ten years after he first signed, remains to be seen.