Valentin Costache

Valentin Ionuț Costache (Romanian pronunciation: [valenˈtin joˈnut͡s kosˈtake]; born 2 August 1998) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a winger or as an attacking midfielder for Liga I club UTA Arad.

Valentin Costache

Costache with Rapid București in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Valentin Ionuț Costache
Date of birth	(1998-08-02) 2 August 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth	Videle, Romania
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Winger, attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	UTA Arad
Number	19
Youth career
0000–2014	CSȘ Videle
2014–2015	Dinamo București
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2015–2017	Dinamo București	18	(4)
2016–2017	→ Afumați (loan)	22	(6)
2018–2022	CFR Cluj	121	(12)
2022–2023	Rapid București	27	(0)
2023–2024	Apollon Limassol	28	(3)
2024–	UTA Arad	40	(7)
International career
2014–2015	Romania U17	2	(0)
2017–2021	Romania U21	8	(3)
2021	Romania Olympic	2	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19 July 2025

Club career

Dinamo București

Costache joined the youth setup of Dinamo București from hometown club CSȘ Videle in 2014.^[1] On 20 December the following year, he made his senior debut by coming on as a 62nd-minute substitute for Bogdan Gavrilă in a 1–1 Liga I draw against CFR Cluj.^[2] On 14 February 2016, he netted the only goal of a match against Botoșani in the same competition.^[3]

Costache was loaned out to second division side Afumați for the 2016–17 campaign, where he managed to score six goals from 23 games all competitions comprised. On 30 July 2017, he scored his first Dinamo goal upon his return to Bucharest in a 1–0 away victory over Liga I defending champions Viitorul Constanța.^[4]

CFR Cluj

During early November 2017, it was reported that Costache would be joining CFR Cluj in the approaching transfer window for a fee of €1 million.^[5] He was formally unveiled at his new team on 8 January 2018.^[6]

Over the course of four and a half seasons in Cluj-Napoca, Costache amassed totals of 145 games and 15 goals in all competitions, and also aided to seven domestic honours.

Rapid București

On 16 June 2022, Costache was transferred to fellow Liga I team Rapid București.^[7]

Apollon Limassol

On 22 August 2023, Costache signed for Cypriot First Division club Apollon Limassol on a two-year deal with the option for a further year.^[8]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 19 July 2025^[9]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Dinamo București	2015–16	Liga I	4	1	0	0	1	0	—		—		5	1
	2017–18	Liga I	14	3	1	0	—		1	0	—		16	3
	Total		18	4	1	0	1	0	1	0	—		21	4
Afumați (loan)	2016–17	Liga II	22	6	1	0	—		—		—		23	6
CFR Cluj	2017–18	Liga I	13	0	0	0	—		—		—		13	0
	2018–19	Liga I	18	1	3	3	—		1	0	1	0	23	4
	2019–20	Liga I	34	4	0	0	—		1	0	1	0	36	4
	2020–21	Liga I	35	4	1	0	—		0	0	1	0	37	4
	2021–22	Liga I	21	3	0	0	—		14	0	1	0	36	3
	Total		121	12	4	3	—		16	0	4	0	145	15
Rapid București	2022–23	Liga I	24	0	1	0	—		—		—		25	0
	2023–24	Liga I	3	0	—		—		—		—		3	0
	Total		27	0	1	0	—		—		—		28	0
Apollon Limassol	2023–24	Cypriot First Division	28	3	2	0	—		—		—		30	3
UTA Arad	2024–25	Liga I	38	6	3	0	—		—		—		41	6
	2025–26	Liga I	2	1	0	0	—		—		—		2	1
	Total		40	7	3	0	—		—		—		43	7
Career total			256	32	12	3	1	0	17	0	4	0	289	35

Honours

Dinamo București

• Cupa României runner-up: 2015–16

CFR Cluj^[9]

• Liga I: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
• Supercupa României: 2018, 2020;^[10] runner-up: 2019, 2021