Arsenal Signs Georgian Teenager Andria Bartishvili for €4.5m
Arsenal have struck a deal with FC Kolkheti-1913 Poti to sign highly rated Georgian teenager Andria Bartishvili in a move worth €4.5million (£3.9m), adding another ambitious piece to their growing youth project.
The 17-year-old attacking midfielder, widely regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Georgia, is set to join the club next summer after completing a medical in north London.
Arsenal’s youth drive steps up again
Since Per Mertesacker’s departure and the appointment of Pascal de Maesschalck as the new Academy Director, Arsenal have accelerated their hunt for elite young talent. The academy has turned into a busy transfer hub rather than a quiet finishing school.
Bartishvili will be the fourth teenager secured for a future arrival in recent seasons. He follows Ecuadorian twins Holger and Edwin Quintero, who are due to arrive from Independiente in the summer of 2027, and Shamrock Rovers prospect Victor Ozhianvuna, who will become an Arsenal player in January.
The fees tell their own story. The amount paid for Bartishvili mirrors the split cost of each Quintero twin, with the pair potentially costing up to £9m combined. Arsenal see this bracket as a sweet spot: serious investment, but still with the potential for huge upside.
The Georgian wonderkid
Last season, Bartishvili spent time on loan at Iberia 1999, where he gained valuable experience in European competition, featuring in Champions League and Europa League qualifying matches. For a 17-year-old, those are serious minutes in serious games.
To get a clearer picture of the player, football.london spoke to Saba Sapanadze, a Georgian football expert who runs Geo Team, a platform dedicated to covering Georgian players across the world, including PSG star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Sapanadze, who first broke the story of Arsenal’s agreement for Bartishvili, has followed the teenager closely and watched his development up close.
“He’s a player who is incredible in one-on-one situations,” Sapanadze said. “Extremely technical and intelligent, with outstanding vision and awareness on the pitch.”
That blend of dribbling, decision-making and awareness explains why Arsenal moved early. It also explains why Sapanadze believes the club have secured a major bargain.
“I think Arsenal were very lucky to get Andria for €4.5million. That only happened because he’s Georgian, otherwise I genuinely believe his price would have been around €15million-€20million.
“Why? Because he is considered one of the biggest talents in the country, alongside Kvaratskhelia’s brother, Tornike.”
Pathway to the first team
The question now is obvious. With Arsenal’s first team stacked with attacking talent, how does a 17-year-old from Georgia break through?
Sapanadze does not dress it up.
“Let’s be realistic,” he said. “Arsenal have an incredible squad right now, so it would be unrealistic for me to tell you that he’ll walk straight into the first team. However, from what I understand, he’ll have a first-team contract and will train with the senior squad.
“Perhaps, initially, a loan to the Championship for regular playing time could be a smart move and help him adapt to British football.”
That route has become familiar for Arsenal’s top youngsters. Train with the stars, then test yourself in the relentless grind of the English lower leagues before returning battle-hardened.
New under-21s head coach David Horseman will also have a say. With Bartishvili, the Quintero twins and Ozhianvuna all lined up, Horseman is about to inherit a wave of fresh talent. His job will be to turn promise into Premier League readiness.
Not the next Kvaratskhelia – a different profile
Any emerging Georgian attacker is going to be mentioned in the same breath as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. That is the burden of having a global star leading your national team.
For Sapanadze, though, the comparison only goes so far.
“For me, Kvaratskhelia is currently the best player in the world and the No. 1 winger,” he said. “Obviously, that comparison creates pressure, but stylistically, Khvicha and Andria are very different players.
“Khvicha is a pure winger, much quicker, with long, powerful strides. Andria operates more centrally, behind the striker, and one of his biggest strengths is his ability to break through midfield from central areas. In terms of style, I’d compare him more to Kevin De Bruyne.”
That is a heavy name to be linked with, but it also underlines what Arsenal think they are buying: not just a dribbler or a flair player, but a central creator who can carry the ball, pick passes and dictate attacks.
If Bartishvili even approaches that level, €4.5m will look like one of the shrewdest gambles of Arsenal’s new academy era.
