Iurie Iovu, essentially a Moldovan fortress standing at an intimidating 6ft 5in (1.96m) and weighing in at 12st 1lb (77kg), was born on 6 July 2002 and has spent his career primarily as a central defender. Currently plying his trade with Dundee United, Iovu dons the number 4 jersey whilst also representing the Moldova national team.
As a professional footballer of considerable talent, the market values him around a respectable sum of £255k - as reported by Transfermarkt.
His journey in football took an international flavour early on. In July 2021, Iovu first crossed the borders of his home country, joining Italian Serie A outfit Cagliari. However, a year later, he was on the move again this time transferring to Venezia plying their trade in Serie B. His stay in Seria B was brief as well as in August 2022, Iovu moved on loan to Croatian side Istra 1961.
Over three seasons at Istra, Iovu slowly established himself, graduating from making three first-team appearances in his debut season, 2022-2023, to eventually clocking up 14 appearances by the time his third season, 2024-2025, came to a close. His move to Istra was made permanent in January 2023 although the fee for the deal remains undisclosed.
A brief loan spell at Spanish club Alavés came in January 2025, offering Iovu a taste of LaLiga before he finally set his sights on Scotland. By July 2025, Iovu had inked a deal with Dundee United, costing the Premiership side around £145k.
His current season, 2025-2026, at Dundee United has seen Iovu make 16 first-team appearances in league matches. The stone wall defender's talents have not just been limited to the Premiership, however. He featured once in the starting lineup for Dundee United in the League Cup 2025-2026 and also saw action in two starts for the Terrors in the Conference League Qualifiers of the same year.
