Nigeria’s Ibuchi Chukwu makes Gloria Bistrita return in U Cluj loan

Nigeria winger Ibuchi Chukwu has joined Gloria Bistrita on loan from Romanian top-flight club U Cluj.

The 20-year-old left winger returns to Gloria Bistrita after moving to U Cluj on a free transfer on 1 July 2026. His loan spell runs until 30 June 2027, taking him from SuperLiga football to Gloria Bistrita’s Liga 2 campaign.

Chukwu was registered by Gloria Bistrita on 21 August 2026 and becomes part of a squad competing in Romania’s second tier. The Port Harcourt-born player made one appearance in Europa League qualifying for U Cluj during the 2026-27 season, playing eight minutes.

His return reunites him with Gloria Bistrita, where he previously spent the 2024-25 season on loan from Corvinul. He helped the club win the Romanian Liga 3 title during that campaign before returning to Corvinul at the end of the loan.

Chukwu then joined Gloria Bistrita permanently on a free transfer on 1 July 2025, having originally arrived at Corvinul from Jimmy FA in July 2024. His move to U Cluj followed a year later, also without a transfer fee.

The Nigerian has now switched clubs twice during the opening stages of the 2026-27 season, first leaving Gloria Bistrita for U Cluj before making the return move on loan. He is listed as a left winger and is the latest player to move between the two Romanian clubs.

Gloria Bistrita’s promotion from Liga 3 to its current Liga 2 setting provides Chukwu with a return to the side he represented during its title-winning campaign. His previous spell at the club included the season in which Gloria Bistrita secured the Romanian Liga 3 championship.

The loan agreement formally takes Chukwu back to Gloria Bistrita until the end of June 2027, when he is scheduled to return to U Cluj. The completed move was registered on 21 August 2026.