Lincoln City appear to be closing in on the signing of Romania international Andrei Coubiș after Universitatea Cluj head coach Cristiano Bergodi confirmed the defender had left the club.
Bergodi was speaking ahead of U Cluj’s Conference League qualifier against Norwegian side Brann when he revealed that Coubiș had said his farewells two days earlier. The report from Romania states that the 22-year-old has been sold to us for €3 million, approximately £2.6 million.
The U Cluj head coach stopped short of naming the Imps himself, but confirmed Coubiș was no longer part of his squad and would need to be replaced.
“He is no longer our player, and we only talk about who remains and who we hope will come,” said Bergodi. “He needs to be replaced, and we need to do something in the transfer market.”
The comments are the strongest indication yet that a transfer is close to being completed, although there has been no official announcement from Lincoln. However, a report from The 72 confirmed he is in Lincoln, finalising the deal.
Reports from Romania had initially placed City and Turkish side Trabzonspor in the race for Coubiș, with both clubs said to have offered around €3 million. I also understand a number of other clubs have shown interest, with at least one in the Championship thought to have been monitoring the former AC Milan defender.
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Coubiș had already been absent from the Romanian club’s recent matches, including their European fixture against Dinamo Kyiv, which prompted suggestions that he had been given permission to complete a move. Bergodi’s confirmation that the centre-back left the group two days ago now appears to support those reports.
The Romanian international only joined U Cluj permanently this summer after spending the second half of last season on loan from Sampdoria. He made 19 appearances in all competitions during that temporary spell, scoring twice as the club reached the Romanian Cup final.
Born in Milan to Romanian parents, Coubiș spent several years in AC Milan’s academy and went on to captain their under-19 and reserve sides. He was named among the substitutes for Champions League group matches against Chelsea and Dinamo Zagreb in 2022 but did not make a competitive senior appearance for the Italian club.
He later made 34 league appearances for Milan Futuro in Serie C before joining Sampdoria. That move initially took the form of a loan before becoming permanent in January, with Coubiș moving to Romania almost immediately afterwards. His performances in the Romanian top flight also earned him senior international recognition. Originally, the 6ft 5in defender intended to play for Italy, but a request to switch back to Romania was granted in March 2026, and he’s since played three times, against Wales, Georgia and Slovakia.
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A reported fee of €3 million would represent a significant investment from the Imps as we prepare for our return to the Championship, but any initial fee is likely to be south of that figure, with the total rising depending on his achievements. Still, it would also underline the club’s stated intention to recruit players capable of improving the starting XI rather than simply adding depth.
There are still formal steps to be completed before Coubiș can be considered a Lincoln City player; one would imagine a very robust medical, with a visa also needed. It’s understood he already speaks very good English and is ready to settle quickly at his new club, which is assumed to be us. With Bergodi now confirming the defender has left U Cluj, this proposed transfer appears to have moved well beyond the initial stage of reported interest.
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