Romanian defender Adrian Rus, aged 29, was a target for Spezia in Serie B, with Gazzetta dello Sport indicating that the Italian club had the highest likelihood of acquiring him. Nevertheless, Rus eventually joined Universitatea Craiova. Despite Spezia's interest, as they were eager for him to continue his career in Italy following his contribution to Pisa's promotion to Serie A, Rus chose to return to Romania. Universitatea Craiova acted swiftly to secure his services, presenting him with a one-year contract. This transfer signifies Rus's return to the Romanian league after six years playing abroad, during which he was part of teams such as Pisa and Pafos. Apart from the interest from Italy, FCSB and Sampdoria were also associated with the defender, whose market value is estimated by Transfermarkt at €1.20m.