Gigi Becali, the FCSB owner, is reportedly interested in signing winger Issouf Macalou from 'U' Cluj to provide competition for Daniel Bîrligea and Mamadou Thiam. However, MM Stoica has expressed disagreement regarding the potential arrival of the 27-year-old player from Ivory Coast. Stoica explained that while he considers Macalou to be very good in one-on-one situations, he is not impressed by the player's statistics. In the current SuperLiga season, Macalou has 1 goal and 6 assists in 22 appearances. Mihai Stoica also stated that Issouf Macalou's name was never mentioned at FCSB and that his transfer was never a consideration for the club. The French-Ivorian player joined FC Universitatea Cluj on 21/01/2025, and his contract expires on 30/06/2028. According to Transfermarkt, his current market value is €650k.