Arsenal have agreed a deal to sign Georgian teenager Andria Bartishvili, with the young midfielder already responding warmly to the wave of public reaction online.
The agreement was confirmed by James McNicholas of The Athletic, who reported that Bartishvili will join Arsenal from Kolkheti 1913 when he turns 18 in 2027.
Bartishvili is currently on loan with Iberia 1999, and that loan spell is expected to run until December given that Georgian football operates on a calendar-year basis.
With his 18th birthday falling in March 2027, the transfer is effectively a signing for next summer, giving Arsenal a clear timeline for his arrival at the club.
The player wasted no time in acknowledging the public attention his move attracted, posting on Instagram: “A very big thank you to everyone for the congratulations.”
Arsenal were not alone in pursuing the Georgian youngster, with Liverpool and Juventus also reportedly among the clubs interested in securing his signature.
It was Arsenal’s Maurizio Micheli who led the club’s recruitment push, attending one of Bartishvili’s matches for Iberia against Flora in a Champions League qualifier to run the rule over him.
Micheli’s scouting mission has now paid off, with Arsenal winning the race for one of Georgian football’s most exciting young prospects ahead of two major European rivals.
Bartishvili has made a strong impression during his loan spell at Iberia, registering two goals and three assists across his 24 appearances, with all of those contributions coming after he broke into the starting lineup at the start of May.
The teenager has represented Georgia at under-16, under-17, under-19, and under-21 level, and scored two goals in two games for the under-19 side during June.
His form at club and international level has clearly caught the eye of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and Arsenal appear to have moved decisively to secure his future.
With the loan at Iberia covering most of the waiting period before he becomes eligible to join, Arsenal fans should expect to see Bartishvili arrive at the club in the spring of 2027.
