Marian Aioani expected to leave Rapid București as contract talks stall

Romanian goalkeeper Marian Aioani is expected to leave Rapid București at the end of his contract. ProSport reports that the player is close to a departure and that the two parties have not held discussions regarding a contract extension. Sources indicate that Aioani refuses to extend his stay due to previously blocked transfer offers, and his relationship with the club management has deteriorated.

Aioani joined Rapid from Farul Constanța in January 2024 for a fee of 400,000 euros. His current contract is set to expire on 30 June 2027, which means he will enter the final six months of his deal at the end of 2026. Reports state that he is the only Rapid player in his final contract year without concrete renewal talks. However, club official Victor Angelescu stated a week before 2 November 2026 that negotiations were ongoing with Aioani and teammates Dobre, Pașcanu, and Onea regarding their 2027 expiries.

The stalled negotiations follow a period of tension between the goalkeeper and the club. Rapid officials are reportedly dissatisfied with his recent performances. Additionally, Aioani experienced a conflict with Rapid supporters in May 2026 before a derby against Dinamo after withdrawing due to an injury. During that incident, fans accused him of match-fixing.

On the pitch, Rapid recently suffered a 1-4 defeat to FCSB. Nineteen-year-old Bogdan Ungureanu defended the goal during that match and made errors that led to two goals. Following the loss, coach Daniel Pancu reinstated Aioani as the starter. Aioani played in a 0-0 draw against Corvinul and a 2-0 victory over Csikszereda.

Aioani has played 61 Superliga matches for Rapid since his arrival. He holds a market value of 1.5 million euros and has earned two caps for Romania. Before joining Rapid, he made 103 appearances for Farul Constanța between 2021 and 2024, where he won the Romanian title. He also previously played for Chindia Târgoviște.

The goalkeeper has attracted transfer interest in the past but remained in Bucharest. He had an opportunity to join Tractor FC in the summer of 2025 but stayed at Rapid. Maccabi Netanya also wanted to sign him in July 2026, but that transfer failed due to regional issues and disagreements over the fee.

Rapid faces similar contract situations with other players. Defender Alexandru Pașcanu also has a contract expiring in the summer of 2027. Pașcanu recently refused a contract extension because the club wanted to double his current 300,000 euro release clause. Pașcanu currently holds a market value of 1.3 million euros.