Universitatea Craiova forward Ștefan Baiaram has been proposed to Serie A club Bologna by agent Giovanni Becali, though the Italian side is evaluating whether the 23-year-old player contributes enough on the defensive flank before pursuing a transfer that could cost up to six million euros.
Universitatea Craiova forward Ștefan Baiaram has emerged as a primary export target for the Romanian SuperLiga, drawing direct attention from Italian football. Agent Giovanni Becali revealed that he proposed the 23-year-old attacker to a club in Italy’s top flight following the player’s recent goal in European competition against Finnish side KuPS Kuopio. While Becali did not publicly name the Italian team, industry reporting established that the interested club is Bologna which finished the 2025/2026 Serie A campaign in eighth place.
Bologna’s Tactical Hesitation Over Defensive Work Rate
Executives at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara are actively reviewing the potential investment while weighing specific concerns about the player’s tactical discipline. Sources close to the Italian club indicate that technical staff are hesitant regarding Baiaram’s contributions without the ball. According to those reports, the primary reservation is that the winger does not track back consistently to support his defenders.
This defensive shortcoming has also been addressed internally within the Romanian club. Mario Felgueiras noted that management has specifically worked with Baiaram on pressing, positioning, and tactical awareness without the ball to prepare him for a higher level of competition abroad. This alignment between Bologna’s internal scouting concerns and Craiova’s own training focus highlights the exact hurdle standing between the attacker and his move to Italy.
Financial Demands and Rejected European Bids
The valuation set by Universitatea Craiova majority shareholder Mihai Rotaru hovers around five to six million euros. Baiaram currently carries a market value of approximately five million euros on Transfermarkt and has already registered four goals and two assists across eight appearances totaling 511 minutes in the early stages of the season.
Prior interest from Belgian side Anderlecht stalled when negotiations failed to bridge the gap between valuation and offers. Anderlecht tabled a bid of 4.250.000 de euro with added bonuses after opening with a lower three-million-euro proposal, while Rotaru maintained a firm demand of seven million euros for the homegrown standout. Becali noted that only a club from a major league like Serie A possesses the financial capacity to meet these asking prices.
Transfer Market Movements That Could Clear a Roster Spot
Potential roster adjustments in Italy may alter Bologna’s capacity to pursue new wide attacking options. Left winger Benjamin Dominguez is currently attracting interest from Norwich City, Boca Juniors, and Vasco da Gama following contact initiated by English club Norwich after an injury to Ali Ahmed. Although the potential departure of the 22-year-old Argentine does not guarantee a direct move for Baiaram, it would generate significant funds and vacate a specific spot on the left flank where the Romanian forward prefers to operate.
Baiaram remains under contract at his current club, having surpassed 250 appearances with 52 goals and 25 assists in the blue-and-white shirt while establishing himself as a fixture on the pitch. Attention now turns to the return leg of the UEFA Europa League qualifiers, where Baiaram and his teammates focus on securing a spot in the play-offs amid ongoing monitoring from Italian scouts.
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