Arsenal Pursues Georgian Star Andria Bartishvili

Arsenal have stepped up their pursuit of Georgian teenager Andria Bartishvili, tabling a pre-contract offer as they move early in the race for one of Eastern Europe’s most intriguing young midfielders.

Arsenal make their move

Sami Mokbel reports for the BBC that the north London club have formally submitted a pre-contract proposal to Bartishvili, with a view to bringing him to the Emirates towards the end of 2026, when his current deal runs out.

This is not a casual enquiry. Maurizio Micheli is understood to be driving Arsenal’s push, and the club have now moved from monitoring to acting.

Micheli was recently spotted in Georgia, watching Bartishvili turn out for Iberia 1999 in a Champions League qualifier against Flora. The youngster is on loan at Iberia from parent club FC Kolkheti, both sides operating within the Georgian league system.

Competition from Liverpool and Juventus

Arsenal are not alone. Liverpool and Juventus have also been credited with an interest, and Mokbel reports that Bartishvili still has options on the table and has not yet made a decision on his future.

So the offer is there. The commitment is clear. But the race is open.

A long game for a long-term bet

Any deal will require patience. Georgia’s domestic calendar runs within a single year, so Bartishvili’s loan at Iberia 1999 is scheduled to run until December.

On top of that, regulations mean he may not be able to formally sign for Arsenal until March 2027, when he turns 18. This is a move being plotted years in advance, not months.

For a club that has increasingly targeted emerging talent, that timeline fits the model.

Rising fast in Georgia

Bartishvili’s numbers hint at why the interest has sharpened. The Georgia u21 international has produced two goals and three assists in 24 appearances for Iberia, with all five goal contributions coming since he broke into the starting XI at the start of May.

Once he got into the team properly, he stayed there – and started influencing games.

His international record at youth level tells a similar story. Bartishvili has already represented Georgia at u16, u17, u19 and u21 level, scoring twice in two matches for the u19s in June.

The trajectory is steep. The question now is simple: whose shirt will he be wearing when he reaches the top of it?