Manchester City are closing in on a deal to sign Gerónimo Rulli as they look to replace James Trafford. Trafford served as City’s main back-up goalkeeper last season having initially been signed as a number one, only for Gianluigi Donnarumma to be signed later in the summer window.

But wanting to play regular football, Trafford moved on to Leeds United this summer, joining on a club-record deal that could be worth up to £45million. That left City needing to sign a new back-up keeper, with third-choice keeper Marcus Bettenelli not seen as a number two, but it looks as though a new stopper has been found.

Man City closing in on Rulli transfer

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GIVEMESPORT understands that Man City are closing in on a deal to sign Marseille goalkeeper Rulli, It’s understood the package is in the region of €2million (£1.7m) for the 34-year-old who has plenty of experience at the top level.

Rulli has spent the last two years with Marseille, making 63 league appearances after his single season at Ajax. Before that, he enjoyed a successful couple of years at Ajax under Unai Emery, serving as the Yellow Submarine’s number one as they won the Europa League title and subsequently reached the Champions League semi-finals. Rulli notably scored a penalty and then saved a penalty from David De Gea in the Europa League final penalty shootout against Manchester United. The shootout saw all 11 players from each team take a spot-kick, and Rulli’s heroics landed Villarreal their first-ever major European trophy.

The goalkeeper has also won the World Cup, having been in the Argentina squad for the 2022 World Cup, although he was second choice behind Emiliano Martinez.

Geronimo Rulli’s impressive list of achievements

• Europa League (Villarreal – 2020/21)
• FIFA World Cup (2002 – Argentina)
• Copa Ámerica (2024 – Argentina)
• CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions (Argentina – 2022)
• Europa League Team of the Season (Villarreal – 2020/21)

What to expect from Rulli at Man City

Rulli will, of course, play a back-up role at City, but he should offer a steady pair of hands for the most part. He was described as a ‘very important player’ by Emery during his Villarreal days, but it must be added that he can be a little erratic.

Rulli didn’t always convince at Villarreal, and his decision-making come out of his box, and indeed coming to gather balls in the air was criticised by fans at the time. He also struggled to convince at Ajax, and ultimately lost his place because of a shoulder injury, but he has enjoyed a much better time of things at Marseille, so he will arrive at City with much more confidence, and he does have a natural ability as an acrobatic shot-stopper.

UEFA could be forced to follow through on their threat of boycotting FIFA tournaments within a month, after Gianni Infantino refused to bow to mounting pressure to resign as FIFA president.

Rather than fall on his sword, Infantino has instead moved to solidify his position, with FIFA declaring after seven hours of crisis talks in Morocco that he retains their “full support” following his botched attempt to introduce private investment into the World Cup and other tournaments.

FIFA have insisted that they will “no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process” and will take all necessary measures to protect their name. UEFA, however, have refused to back down.

UEFA Doubles Down On FIFA Boycott Threat

Image credit: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Per The Sun, UEFA have said FIFA’s show of support for Infantino “changes nothing” and confirmed their boycott threat still stands. It leaves FIFA on notice ahead of their next international tournament, the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, which begins on the 5th of September.

“UEFA’s associations were very clear about the conditions attached to the non-participation in FIFA competitions,” the statement read.

The global players’ union FIFPRO also condemned what it called “a profound abuse of presidential power,” while usual Infantino ally CONMEBOL criticised “repeated unilateral actions taken without resorting to dialogue.” England defender Lucy Bronze has already made clear she is willing to sacrifice tournament involvement, saying: “If that means boycotting competitions, then that has to happen.”

FIFA Tournaments UEFA Could Boycott

With Infantino refusing to resign, UEFA may now have to back a rival candidate ahead of FIFA’s presidential election in March, a vote he had been expected to win unopposed for a fourth term. A host of tournaments now hang in the balance between now and then if no agreement is reached, starting with September’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

UEFA remain hopeful they can exploit divisions within FIFA’s leadership despite the show of unity following this week’s meeting in Rabat. According to The Guardian, several notable figures were absent, including Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global development. The former Arsenal manager declined to travel in an attempt to distance himself from Infantino after previously branding the World Cup sell-off plans “absolutely necessary and beyond question” to do away with.

It was also reported that a handful of UEFA federations have also withdrawn their letters of support for Infantino’s re-election bid, with the Football Association among those to formally retract their backing. Jordan’s FA president, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, meanwhile confirmed his opposition remains firm despite FIFA finally paying bonuses owed to his national team from last December’s Arab Cup, a payment he suggested was symptomatic of pressure tactics tied to the upcoming election.

Not every confederation is against Infantino, though. Africa’s governing body, CAF, confirmed their unanimous support on Thursday, insisting they will continue focusing on “adhering to governance and transparency global best practices.”

Andy Burnham became the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister in July 2026, entering Number 10 as one of the most football-loving leaders the country has had.

Unusually for a PM, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester has been happy to talk about his sporting allegiances at length, including in a recent exclusive interview with GiveMeSport.

So which club does the Prime Minister actually support?

REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

The answer is Everton. Burnham is a lifelong, season-ticket-holding Toffees supporter, and when it comes to the national side, he is a passionate England fan as well.

His allegiance to Everton was, by his own account, never really a choice. Speaking to GiveMeSport, he explained that both sides of his family were ‘Blues’, and that he was an Evertonian before he could walk — supporting the club all the way back.

It is a family inheritance rather than a glory-hunting pick, which is part of why it has endured through decades in and out of the political spotlight. Such devotion was on full display in his GiveMeSport exclusive, where the Prime Minister made a direct and rather specific plea to the club ahead of the 2026/27 Premier League season: sign a right-back.

He also backed manager David Moyes to move the club forward, expressed hope that Jack Grealish would stay beyond his impressive loan spell, and welcomed the new ownership and the atmosphere at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium.

In a quick-fire round, he predicted a seventh-place finish for Everton and tipped Manchester City to win the title.

You can read the full exclusive interview with GiveMeSport here, in which he also discusses England’s chances, Harry Kane, football governance and the Hillsborough disaster.

Burnham’s connection to football runs deeper than fandom. He was at the other FA Cup semi-final on the day of the Hillsborough disaster in April 1989, and campaigning for justice for 97 victims became, in his words, the most instrumental moment of his political journey.

Does Andy Burnham Support Other Sports Teams?

Picture: Alamy

Yes, and his second sporting love is rugby league. Burnham is a devoted supporter of Super League side Leigh Leopards, a bond rooted in his years representing the town of Leigh as its Member of Parliament. He has previously served as president of the Rugby Football League, giving him a formal history in the sport as well as a fan attachment.

Watching Leigh play at Everton’s stadium during Super League’s Magic Weekend, he described the two clubs as the two greatest loves of his sporting life — a unique moment for someone whose heart is split between a Merseyside football giant and a Lancashire rugby league town.

He has also pledged to champion rugby league in his new role, promising to back the sport “from the highest office” and pushing for greater investment in its grassroots.

Between Everton, England and Leigh Leopards, Burnham arrives in Number 10 with sporting loyalties that are firmly northern and, rare for a politician, entirely consistent with the causes he has backed throughout his career.