# Valentin Costache

Valentin Ionuț Costache (Romanian pronunciation:; 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.

## Club career
### Dinamo București

Costache joined the youth setup of Dinamo București from hometown club CSȘ Videle in 2014. 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. On 14 February 2016, he netted the only goal of a match against Botoșani in the same competition.
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.

### 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. He was formally unveiled at his new team on 8 January 2018.
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.

### 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.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 16 March 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National Cup | National Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | 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 |
| Dinamo București | 2017–18 | Liga I | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 3 |
| Dinamo București | Total | 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 |
| CFR Cluj | 2018–19 | Liga I | 18 | 1 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 4 |
| CFR Cluj | 2019–20 | Liga I | 34 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 4 |
| CFR Cluj | 2020–21 | Liga I | 35 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 4 |
| CFR Cluj | 2021–22 | Liga I | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 3 |
| CFR Cluj | Total | Total | 121 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 145 | 15 |
| Rapid București | 2022–23 | Liga I | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 0 |
| Rapid București | 2023–24 | Liga I | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Rapid București | Total | Total | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 28 | 0 |
| Apollon Limassol | 2023–24 | Cypriot First Division | 28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 30 | 3 |
| UTA Arad | 2024–25 | Liga I | 30 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | 6 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 246 | 31 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 279 | 34 |

## Honours

Dinamo București
* Cupa României runner-up: 2015–16
CFR Cluj
* Liga I: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
* Supercupa României: 2018, 2020; runner-up: 2019, 2021