Quickly try a shock transfer! Negotiations out of nowhere with the 36-year-old player from the Superliga
Article by Adrian Duţă, Carmen Dumitru – Published Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 11:33 p.m. / Updated Tuesday, January 13, 2026 11:33 p.m.
Rapid try a surprising transfer in this mercato period. The people of Giulești are in negotiations to bring him Catalin Straton (36 years old), his goalkeeper FC Argesaccording to GSP sources.
After parting ways with Franz Stolz, Rapid began the search for another goalkeeper. At this moment, Marian Aioani is the holder among the Giulești players. Besides him, Costel Gâlcă has only one goalkeeper at his disposal, Adrian Briciu, 18 years old.
Rapid is looking for a backup option for Aioani and groped Jesus Fernandez, who left Poli Iași this winter. The move did not materialize and Rapid is now trying to transfer Cătălin Straton.
Quickly, in negotiations for the transfer of Cătălin Straton
According to Gazeta Sporturilur sources, it would be a matter of a definitive transfer of Straton to the formation from Giulești. At the moment, the club is negotiating with the 36-year-old veteran.
For Straton, the position of second goalkeeper would not be a novelty. Cătălin is also the reserve goalkeeper at FC Argeș, for whom he played 4 matches this Superliga season. He conceded 6 goals and kept a clean sheet once. Straton has 3 games in the current edition of the Romanian Cup. At Argeș, the 36-year-old player is David Lazar's reserve.
We need a midfielder, another goalkeeper, because Stolz left, and we still need someone in the left lane, a left defender, because we actually stayed in a left defender.
– Victor Angelescu, president and Rapid shareholder
Cătălin Straton, goalkeeper from FC Argeș // photo: Imago Images
Cătălin Straton, raised in Rapid, would return to Giulesti after 14 years
Straton, a small speedster, is a product of the club's academy from Giulesti. He started his career at Rapid and left the white and cherry team in 2012 when he signed with FC Vaslui. Thus, it would be a homecoming after 14 years.
After leaving Rapid, Straton was registered at Vaslui, Universitatea Craiova, Poli Timișoara, Dunărea Călărași, Dinamo, FCSB and FC Argeș.
He has been at Pitesti since 2022 and has played 71 matches in the shirt of the “purple eagles”. For Dinamo, Straton defended in 16 matches, while for FCSB he played 8 times.
At Rapid, the goalkeeper caught 11 games, one in the Europa League groups, in the 2011-2012 season. “I admit, once again, I'm a small speedster,” Straton said in 2012.
Rapid made a transfer this winter
For Rapid, bringing Straton would be the second transfer of the winter. Until now, the team led by Dan Șucu and Victor Angelescu took Daniel Paraschiv. The striker who belongs to Real Oviedo was loaned by the white and cherry.
Rapid also has a purchase option, which will be active in the summer. In the first part of the season. Paraschiv was loaned to Leonesa, in the second Spanish league, for which he scored one goal in 10 matches.
