Andria Bartishvili: The 17-Year-Old Georgian Prodigy Drawing Interest from Liverpool and Arsenal

Liverpool and Arsenal are circling one of Georgia’s most exciting young talents – and the race is already starting to feel tense.

A Georgian prodigy on everyone’s radar

Andria Bartishvili is only 17, but his name is travelling fast.

The attacking midfielder forced his way into the Georgian top flight this season, making double‑digit appearances and marking his breakthrough with a decisive first senior goal in a 1-0 win over Gagra. It wasn’t just the finish that turned heads. It was the way he played: fearless, busy between the lines, demanding the ball when others might hide.

He is on loan at FC Iberia 1999, but belongs to Kolkheti 1913. On paper, that sounds straightforward. It isn’t.

A contract that invites opportunity

Bartishvili’s loan at Iberia 1999 runs until the end of 2026. At that point, he is due to return to Kolkheti Poti.

Yet his contract with Kolkheti also expires in 2026.

That detail changes everything. It means that, unless his situation is resolved, he could be available for nothing more than a free transfer or minimal compensation. For Europe’s recruiters, this is the kind of loophole that demands attention.

Arsenal have already moved to exploit it. Reports suggest the London club are preparing a pre-contract proposal, effectively a Bosman-style move aimed at tying down the teenager before the market truly wakes up. A fee of around £2m has been mentioned as a benchmark for what it might take to get a deal done early.

That figure, modest by Premier League standards, only sharpens the interest.

Liverpool join the chase

Now Liverpool are in.

Reliable Georgian outlet “Geo Team” reported on X that Liverpool, Arsenal and Paris FC are all actively working on a deal for Bartishvili. According to their information, the player has not yet reached an agreement with Arsenal, and three clubs remain in the running.

The offers from Arsenal and Liverpool are described as “identical” – a straight fight between two English giants, with Paris FC trying a different angle.

The French club’s pitch is simple and powerful: guaranteed first-team minutes from the start. For a 17-year-old looking at the next step of his career, that promise carries weight that money can’t always match.

Liverpool and Arsenal, though, offer a different kind of pull – the scale of the stage, the level of competition, the training environment, the chance to grow inside two of Europe’s most demanding ecosystems.

A playmaker built for modern football

Clubs aren’t chasing Bartishvili on contract quirks alone.

Standing at 170cm, he is a low-centre-of-gravity playmaker who thrives either as a classic No 10 or drifting in from the left. His game is built on tight close control, sharp changes of direction and the confidence to take defenders on in one‑v‑one situations.

Back home, those traits have already brought inevitable comparisons with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. That is a heavy name to carry for any young Georgian attacker, but the stylistic echoes are clear enough to fuel the excitement.

For recruitment departments, Bartishvili ticks several boxes: technical quality, positional versatility, bravery in possession, and the kind of profile that can be moulded over time.

Decision on hold – for now

For the moment, the teenager is not rushing.

“Geo Team” report that Bartishvili and his representatives will only make a final decision after upcoming European qualification matches, which he is set to play with FC Iberia 1999. Those games matter for his club – and, increasingly, for his future.

By the time those qualifiers are over, the picture could look very different. Arsenal may push harder. Liverpool might refine their proposal. Paris FC will keep stressing the fast track to senior football.

A 17-year-old from Georgia now stands at the centre of a three-way tug-of-war. Whoever wins him won’t just be securing a bargain. They’ll be betting that this is the next big talent to step out of a league Europe can no longer afford to ignore.