Denis Ciobotariu was wanted by Katowice in Poland for a move that was intended to be a record transfer for the Ekstraklasa team. Costel Gâlcă explained that while an offer was made for the Rapid defender, Denis Ciobotariu did not express a desire to leave Rapid.

Dan Șucu and Victor Angelescu have decided not to sell Romanian Centre-Back Denis Ciobotariu, aged 27, following an offer from Katowice in Poland that was lower than expected. The proposed transfer fee of 400,000 euros was considered too low, and the player's prospects at the 16th-placed Polish team were not considered favorable. The decision to keep the defender was also influenced by an injury to Lars Kramer in the match against UTA Arad, which will prevent him from playing for the next five games. As a result of retaining Ciobotariu, coach Constantin Gâlcă will not need to find a new central defender, and the player will now compete with Leo Bolgado for a starting spot alongside Alexandru Pașcanu. Ciobotariu, who has one cap for Romania, joined FC Rapid 1923 in January 2025 and is under contract until June 2028, with a current Transfermarkt valuation of €1.30m. In the 2025/2026 SuperLiga season, he has made 13 appearances and scored one goal.