Rumoured Lincoln City target Andrei Coubiś has been warned about the English physicality ahead of a reported move to the Championship.
The Romanian international, who stands at 6ft 5in tall, is thought to be close to completing a move from Universitatea Cluj (not to be confused with CFR Cluj), with Lincoln City the name appearing in reports across Romania. The suggested fee is €3m (£2.6m), which is likely to be an eventual total based on many factors, but it would still be a record for the Transylvanian side.
It’s reported City officials watched Coubiś in action last week as U Cluj drew 0-0 with Dinamo Kyiv, which seems to be quite an important game. Given the ESC rules, it is likely that by appearing in a European competition, he could qualify for a transfer without taking up an ESC slot. Romania is a Band Six league, but with his international experience and now European experience, plus his age (22), he may not take up an ESC slot for any Championship suitors.
Everything seems to be in place for a transfer to England, and with us being named in Romanian media, we would certainly seem to be in the running. It’s interesting, and we’ve looked at Coubiś in yesterday’s article, outlining some of his attributes. A defender wouldn’t be first on many fans’ wishlist, but we were always going to spend money across the squad, and a marquee signing would still add a lot to the current squad, whether standing between the sticks or putting balls in them. It’s not a transfer that is outside the realms of reality, although us paying more than £1m for a player seems alien, even a season ago.
📰 Andrei Coubis renews his contract with Milan until June 2027. pic.twitter.com/VnPAqjhDK1
— Milan Posts (@MilanPosts) October 14, 2022
While the fee is eye-catching, and nothing is set in stone around his destination, Romanian media has been awash with updates. This move could represent a record for U Cluj, and be headline news across the country. A move to the Championship gives more credibility to an emerging division, one that, once upon a time, was strong and respected. Romanian football might not reach the levels of the late 80s and early 90s, but it is definitely improving year on year.
That said, the Championship is a big step up, and that’s the warning being issued to Andrei Coubiś, no matter where he moves to. Basarab Panduru, an international during the height of Romanian football’s success and a member of the 1994 World Cup squad, has told the former AC Milan and Sampdoria defender that it’s a very different proposition from the Superliga.
“Of course he has to go where he can get minutes,” said the former Benfica and Porto player.
“Coubiś, since you first saw him, you said he would be a national player; he has a good physique and technique. He impresses me. But don’t forget that everyone in England has his physique, not here in our country.“
I’m not sure everyone in the Championship is 6ft 5in tall, strong, quick and boasts AC Milan and Sampdoria as former employers, but it will be interesting to see if he does complete an English move, and how he does. It could actually be just as big a moment for Romanian football as it is for any buying club.
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