Kevin Ciubotaru targets Romania recall after Dundee United start

Kevin Ciubotaru has stated that returning to the senior Romania national team is his primary objective after establishing himself as a regular starter for Dundee United in the Scottish first league. The 22-year-old midfielder believes his recent form at club level and with the Romania U21 side positions him for a potential recall by head coach Gheorghe Hagi. Despite these ambitions, Ciubotaru was not included in Hagi’s preliminary squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Poland on November 14 and Bosnia on November 17.

Ciubotaru transferred to Dundee United in summer 2026 after his previous club, FC Hermannstadt, ceased operations. He signed a two-season contract with the Scottish side that includes an option for an additional year. Since arriving, he has appeared in eight matches, recording one goal and one assist. Dundee United currently sits sixth in the Scottish first league table. Transfermarkt.com lists his market value at 600,000 euros.

During the most recent international window, Ciubotaru started all three of Romania U21’s EURO 2027 qualifying matches and scored against Cyprus. He described the break as beneficial, noting that he returned to domestic play feeling physically fit. Ciubotaru also revealed he had spoken with a national team sports science specialist who requested specific performance data on him, indicating ongoing monitoring by the senior setup despite his current absence from the squad.

Ciubotaru earned his sole senior cap for Romania in October 2025 under then-coach Mircea Lucescu. His path to the national team has previously involved interest from Romanian clubs. Reports indicate that FCSB owner Gigi Becali insisted on signing him over the last six months, although this claim remains unconfirmed. Negotiations between Hermannstadt and FCSB for Ciubotaru collapsed at the last minute during the previous winter transfer window before his eventual move to Scotland.

The current senior squad landscape includes established players such as Răzvan Marin, who has 78 caps and 12 goals, and Nicolae Stanciu, with 90 caps and 15 goals. Goalkeepers Ionuț Radu, Otto Hindrich and Valentin Cojocaru were named in the preliminary squad for the Nations League matches. Ciubotaru’s exclusion from this list confirms that any potential recall would apply to future selection cycles rather than the immediate fixtures against Poland and Bosnia.