 Despite Niculae was expected to leave Dinamo in the summer break, on 11 July he extended his contract until December 2012, accepting a 40% pay reduction.Niculae started the season with a goal in the first league game, netting with a header Dinamo's only goal in a 1–0 home win against FCM Târgu Mureş.He scored a brace in the second league game in a 5–0 away win against Gaz Metan Mediaş, the first for Dinamo on the Gaz Metan Stadium from the past 11 years.