Lincoln City have confirmed that the work permit for Andrei Coubiș has been received, meaning he is now able to do interviews and maybe make an appearance this weekend.
The Imps secured the Romanian international from FC Universitatea Cluj for what is expected to be a club-record transfer fee, with the 22-year-old joining after helping his former side achieve their highest league finish in more than 40 years and secure European qualification. We haven’t heard from him as yet: doing an interview is work, and with no work permit, we have been forced to wait.
That wait is now at an end.
Coubiș came through the AC Milan academy, captaining their Under-19 side and featuring around the senior setup before later moving on to Sampdoria. A spell with U Cluj then gave him the regular first-team football he needed, and he played an important role as the club recorded their highest league finish in more than 40 years and qualified for Europe. His progress also earned him senior international recognition with Romania before Lincoln moved to bring him to the Championship.
Coubiș recently posted on his Instagram saying goodbye to his former club.
“The time has come for me to say goodbye to U Cluj.
I want to thank the club, the staff, my teammates, and—above all—the supporters, who backed me and made me feel at home from day one.
It was a significant experience that I will always cherish. I wish you all the best for the future, and I will continue to support U Cluj with affection. Let’s go, U!”
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On the pitch, Coubiș is a strong penalty-box defender whose game is based on positioning, timing and athleticism. He is dominant in the air, difficult to beat in individual duels and comfortable defending space, but he also offers qualities in possession that could make him especially valuable to the Imps. Naturally right-footed, he operated mainly on the left of a back three last season, showed confidence using both feet and combined progressive passing with the pace and willingness to carry the ball beyond pressure, giving us another way to build from the back in the Championship.
Imps fans might now get a chance to see him in the flesh this weekend, with a double-header of friendly action against Barnsley and Doncaster. However, a behind-closed-doors friendly against Nottingham Forest B, scheduled for next week, is now believed to have been cancelled. Whether we try to get something else scheduled before Derby County in the cup remains to be seen.
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