Coventry have smashed their transfer record to recruit the Romanian international Viorel Moldovan from the Swiss club Grasshoppers Zurich for £3.25m.

The 25-year-old striker has signed a four-and-a-half year contract believed to be worth around £2m.

Gordon Strachan: impressed with Moldovan's skill

City clinched the deal after Moldovan impressed their manager, Gordon Strachan, who watched him play three times for his country.

The fee surpasses the £3m Coventry paid Leeds for the Scotland captain, Gary McAllister, in the summer of 1996.

Moldovan has an impressive pedigree and is in line to face England in next summer's World Cup finals after scoring nine goals for Romania in their qualifying group.

He has scored 11 times in only 19 internationals and in domestic football has hit the target 77 times in 103 games for Neuchatel Xamax and Grasshoppers.

Strachan said: "I have watched him play for Romania and he impresses me more each time. He is a terrific player who scores goals.

"After that it was a question of whether our chairman Bryan Richardson could find the money to do the deal and I'm delighted at the prospect of having this lad in our attack."

Coventry, who are currently fifth from bottom of the Premiership table, already have several strikers on their payroll and Strachan will have the luxury of choosing from Moldovan, Dion Dublin, Noel Whelan and Darren Huckerby up front.

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