‘Oh No’ Striker bid for has not scored yet in His last 25 matches – He could now go to China
Likened to Sergio Aguero, labelled the ‘next Kylian Mbappe’, receiving offers from Arsenal; the world appeared to be Ianis Stoica’s oyster around 18 months ago.
“I currently have a 7.5 million euro offer for Ianis Stoica,” Gigi Becali, the outspoken president of FCSB (formerly known as Steaua Bucharest), told the Romanian edition of AS in November 2021.
“It is good that Arsenal are monitoring Ianis,” Becali added. “He is technically skilled, physically strong and very smart.”
The FCSB chief did also admit that Stoica, just 18 years of age at the time, was not quite ready to make the step up at one of the biggest clubs in England, let alone Europe. Flash forward to March 2023 and – whether Becali had a point or not – Stoica’s current form certainly makes a new approach from Premier League leaders Arsenal seem unlikely in the extreme.
ARSENAL WANTED THE ‘ROMANIAN MBAPPE’ IANIS STOICA
After marking his breakthrough campaign with nine goals last term, 2022/23 has been a much tougher challenge. Second-season syndrome, maybe? Stoica was farmed out on loan to Romanian league rivals Cluj in December after losing his place at FCSB and, across 25 games in all competitions, has no goals and just one assist.
According to DigiSport, Stoica’s next destination – as he looks to rediscover the form that once saw him labelled Romania’s answer to Mbappe – could be some 5,000 miles east of Arsenal’s Emirates stadium.
Chinese Super League outfit Beijing Guoan are hoping to take Stoica on another short-term loan deal. They are willing to pay around £400,000 for the privilege.
“If (the offer) appeared for Ianis Stoica, good for him,” muses Cluj coach – and former Chelsea defender – Dan Petrescu. “It would be good from a financial point of view.”
But from a sporting perspective? It’s difficult not to wonder what went wrong. When Arsenal were courting Stoica as recently as late-2021, few expected that he would be on his way to China after 25 games without a goal in early-2023.
