Andrei Ivan

Andrei Virgil Ivan (; born 4 January 1997) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for V.League 1 club Truong Tuoi Dong Nai.

Ivan started out as a senior at Universitatea Craiova in 2014, and three and a half years later earned a €4 million transfer abroad to Russian Premier League side Krasnodar. He did not impose himself in Russia and was loaned for one season to Rapid Wien, before returning to Universitatea Craiova in the summer of 2019.

Ivan registered his senior debut for the Romania national team in November 2015, in a 1–1 friendly draw with Italy.

Club career Early career and Universitatea Craiova

Ivan began playing youth football at local Flacăra Moreni, before moving in 2011 to Sporting Pitești. On 30 December 2013, he joined Universitatea Craiova on a two-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee. Ivan scored his first goal for the club on 28 May 2014, in a 2–0 home victory over ASA Târgu Mureș counting for the Liga II championship. He made eight appearances during the season, as Craiova achieved promotion by winning its series.

On 2 August 2014, he netted his first Liga I goal by coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute in a 1–3 away loss to defending champions Steaua București. In January 2016, Ivan rejected a move to the latter club, which had reached an agreement with Craiova for a transfer worth €2.15 million. Several foreign teams were also interested in acquiring him and Ivan revealed his dream of playing abroad.

At the start of 2017, Ivan gained team captaincy following the departure of Bogdan Vătăjelu to Sparta Prague.

Krasnodar On 17 July 2017, Ivan penned a five-year contract with Russian side FC Krasnodar for a rumoured transfer fee of €4 million and 25% interest. He recorded his competitive debut on 20 August, after entering as an 84th-minute substitute for Viktor Claesson in a goalless Russian Premier League draw with Rostov.

On 24 June 2018, Ivan joined Austrian Bundesliga club Rapid Wien on a year-long with a purchase option. He totalled 40 appearances in all competitions throughout the season, of which eleven in the UEFA Europa League, and scored three goals. Upon his return to Krasnodar, he played one game for the reserves in the Russian National League, the second level of the Russian league system.

Return to Universitatea Craiova Universitatea Craiova announced the re-signing of Ivan on a four-year deal on 28 August 2019. According to press, the Alb-albaștrii paid a €1.5 million transfer fee to bring him back to Oltenia.

On 23 May 2021, Ivan claimed his first major honour after opening the scoring in a 3–2 victory over Astra Giurgiu in the Cupa României final. On 10 July that year, he started in the 4–2 penalty shoot-out win over CFR Cluj in the subsequent Supercupa României.

Amid reports linking him to Galatasaray, Ivan scored all but one of his side's goals in a 5–2 defeat of Mioveni on 30 October 2021. He finished the 2021–22 season with a career-best 14 goals in 33 league matches, and was also the top assist provider (eleven). He repeated the former performance in the following campaign, netting another 14 goals.

International career Ivan (No. 19) during a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying match against Sweden in 2019. Ivan made his full international debut for Romania on 17 November 2015, aged 18, coming on as a substitute in a 2–2 friendly draw with Italy at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara in Bologna. He scored his first goal for the nation six years later, in a 1–2 loss to Georgia in Ploiești on 2 June 2021.

Style of play Ivan is a versatile forward who can be deployed as a winger, by preference on the left flank, or as a striker in the centre.

Career statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ivan goal. Liga I Top Assist Provider: 2021–22 Gazeta Sporturilor Romania Player of the Month: October 2021