City have agreed the signing of defender Andrei Coubis on a permanent transfer from FC Universitatea Cluj, subject to the granting of a work permit and international clearance.
The 22-year-old has put pen to paper on a five-year contract at the Imps, becoming the latest addition to Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw’s squad ahead of the 2026/27 Sky Bet Championship campaign.
Born in Italy to Romanian parents, 6ft 5in centre-back Coubis arrives after continuing his development in Romania’s top-flight with Universitatea Cluj following more than 10 years in the AC Milan academy and a brief spell at Sampdoria. Comfortable in possession and strong in defensive duals, he adds further quality and competition to City’s back line.
Sporting director Jez George said: “Andrei has elite physical attributes, plays with real aggression, shows composure in possession, fits our profile in this position perfectly and has a really high ceiling. With the signing of Calum Elder, plus Deji Elerewe and Josh Honohan in January, this completes our recruitment for this unit of the team.”
“Andrei had a stellar education at AC Milan in his formative years, had a massive impact at U Cluj from January to the end of last season and then made his debut for the senior Romanian national team in the summer. It is brilliant work by our recruitment team to have flagged him last season in a band 6 league which doesn't automatically qualify for ESC status but knowing that would change if his club qualified for European competition and he played in a qualification game, which they did.
“Therefore, from Andrei starting against Dynamo Kiev on 9 July, we ramped up our interest and we are delighted to have secured his signature ahead of top tier clubs across Europe. Once we obtain the relevant work visa, Andrei will be able to speak himself but there is no doubt that the lure of England and English football, the way in which we play, the atmosphere created by our fans home and away, what we achieved last season and how we develop players all had a part to play in his decision.”
